As we go about with our celebrations, remember the reason we celebrate: the babe in the manger who would die on the Cross in our place.
Often we get so caught up in the joy and wonder of His birth, that we forget all the toil those who believed went through while waiting for Him. And we forget that baby was sent as a sacrifice in our place; a sacrifice for the Original Sin and all sins.
Our King was born humbly, without power, pomp, or ceremony. He was not heralded, but scorned. There was no grand palace for Him, nor a sprawling capital. Instead He was born in a lowly farming community. Jesus gave up so much to be with us. Every step of His live was a sacrifice, a humiliation. Especially the part we seem to cherish most: His birth. We believe Him so innocent, meek, and even adorable. But it was that part that may have been most humiliating. He knew, since He is God, what would happen. To willingly be confined to a human body that would one day die. It was likely the most painful thing He went through; a pain, suffering, and humiliation that would last His entire earthly life. And that is cause for joy.
Without Christ's sacrifice, without His comeing to earth as a human to do what was impossible for us to ever do in our wildest dreams, we would be lost to all eternity in our sin. But our King, who had every right to damn us to Hell under the Law, chose instead to step down from His throne. He laid aside His crown and power and took up the mantle of an ordinary human. He lived, worked, toiled, laughed, cried, learned, taught, befriended, cared, healed. He prayed for relief, accepted His task, suffered under Pilate, carried the Cross, bled, forgave, died. He was burried. He decended to Hell, not to suffer, but to conqure. He rose from a grave that could never contain the Creator of the Universe. Our King was alive again, ascending to His throne to prepare a place for us.
As we wait for our King to return, let us celebrate His first coming and rejoice that He will be back soon!
The peace of the Lord be with you and your family today and forever. Merry Christmas!
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