And
there you have it … the significance and meaning behind Christmas. Wrapped up
nice and tidy! He showed up.
Several
years ago, one of my favorite pastors preached a sermon with this title. It was
one of his finest. The simple message resonated very deeply within me.
God, in
his infinite mercy and boundless love for mankind, showed up.
He made
it possible for me, for you, for anyone else who so chooses, to have an avenue
directly into His kingdom.
God
didn’t have to do this, you know. He did it because He truly does love
you beyond all reason and good sense. He cares about you – every single hair on
your little head – in ways that you’ll never comprehend. Cares about your
spouse, your kids, your parents, the mean old lady in your neighborhood …
everybody.
So, He
sent his Son, our Savior, Jesus. Emmanuel. Hope. Light in a dark world. However
you wish to describe Him.
God put
Him (Jesus) on Earth to literally create a “bridge,” if you will, across the
great chasm between us, down here, and God, up there.
You
see, we are imperfect, all of us. Flawed. Goofed up. Messed up. Broken.
Sinners. Scum. Unclean. Unacceptable. Downright filth.
Only
perfect, sinless, spotless, pure things can ever get close enough to
reside with God, our creator. And in our natural states, none of us qualifies.
We’re all losers in that regard.
But …
there is hope. A way. A promise. An outstretched hand.
That
way is Jesus.
God put
Him here, to “bridge” the chasm of sin between us and Himself. Jesus – and only
Jesus – can make you and me acceptable unto God. Cleanse us. Rid us of our
sins. And make us worthy to enter God’s Kingdom. If you ask Him, Jesus will gladly bear the burden of your personal sins, take them on
Himself, and vanquish them forever, so that you – unworthy, undeserving you –
can be presentable unto God.
Pretty
cool, huh?
So yes,
that’s what Christmas is all about. For real. No kidding.
He
showed up.
And
through Him, you may now have eternal life. Period. End of offer. No strings
attached. He only wants you to believe, admit you’re a sinner, and commit.
Sure, I
love Christmas fudge (you may read about that elsewhere on these pages),
Christmas trees, decorations, lights, music
especially, giving gifts, my wife’s famous Christmas cookies, etc., etc., etc.
That’s all wonderful and good stuff. And God wants us to enjoy it. We’re
supposed to have fun – He wants you to be happy, believe it or not!
But
underneath it all? Behind it all? Whichever way you wish to look at it, lies
the simple, pure, often-unspoken nugget of truth to his overblown holiday:
He showed up.
_____
(If you have questions about this simple
notion, please, let me know, or ask someone nearby to explain it to you – a
pastor, a priest, a counselor, etc. Or contact me. Seriously. I mean it.)
.
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