Although there are many Bible verses associated with Christmas, like Old Testament passages about Jesus being called Immanuel, and New Testament verses about bringing peace to men of good will, I think the best passage to give full perspective to Christmas is:
“For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son,…” (John 3:16a).
Loved.
The thing we all crave. To be loved. And who could love us better than the One who created love and is love?
The story is simple:
You have God, who created humankind.
He gave mankind some rules, to protect us. Keep them innocent, happy and shrouded in peace and protection.
But they rebelled, broke the rules and lied about it to their creator, and laid bare their progeny and all mankind (all of us) to the ugly ramifications of their sin.
With the snap of His powerful creating fingers, God could have scrapped them and started over; or shook his head and given up. Spent the rest of eternity with his angels.
But He didn’t. He immediately devises a redemptive plan. A plan for death and destruction to be overcome, to have no power over life. A plan that wouldn’t come to fruition for thousands of years, but a plan that would come to fruition because He ordained it so.
And it did. A little over two thousand years ago.
And that’s what we’re celebrating at Christmas, really.
A love so deep and so wide and so unfathomable that it’s impossible for us to fully wrap our minds around. To comprehend it.
God sends His spirit to be joined to the seed of a woman to form a baby—His Son—to live a fully human life while simultaneously being fully God.
This son’s purpose is to experience life as a human—child and adult—and embark on a ministry of healing and teaching and leading people to a better life. A redeemed life.
To show people the Father.
To show them what real love looks like.
And believe. And follow.
And then pay the ultimate price of sacrificing Himself, to bring the redemption tory full circle.
To redeem mankind.
“…so that whosoever should believe in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16b).
The story of Christmas is that Heaven gave the supreme gift of love. Of life.
So we could stop perishing.
“Love,” God says. “I give you unconditional love. Because I know you don’t have the power to do this yourself, to redeem yourself. I’ll do it, so we can be properly reunited to spend eternity together.
“So I’m going to do it for you.
“That’s my gift.
“The gift of Love.”
This is the start of a season of love that begins with a gift and culminates in a death and Resurrection. Both gifts of life. To you and me.
This month—
In the next several weeks, we’ll look at just how powerful love is and what effects it has on us physically, emotionally and spiritually.
The power of Love.
Are you ready to give it?
Are you prepared to receive it?
Until next Monday, prepare your heart to be a love-receiving and love-dispensing vessel.
It’s what Christmas is all about.
Until then!
Blessings,
Andrea
May you prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers (3 John 2).