Stop and Think

How often do you really stop and think about Christmas?  Do you ever stop and think through the whole story?  I must admit I have failed to slow myself down long enough to take a hard look at it this year.  Prompted by guilt I have rushed through the motions of focussing on my Jesus and felt no gratitude for the event that happened on the first Christmas morning.  I think my primary flaw has been to take advantage of my being state-side this Christmas.  To think that the atmosphere, family meals, parties, etc. would fill me with all the warm fuzzies that I love during this season but unfortunately, I have been left empty.  I felt more enthusiasm for Christmas in Japan (where only 1 in 300 people even celebrate) than I do here this year.

My complacency has been bugging me; big time.  So I had to step back and check my heart, then another step back and look at the really big picture; He is not just the baby in a manger but He is the Savior of the world!

In Philipians 2:5-8 we read that He gave up all of heaven and condescended to us, to abide with us, live a perfect life for us, and to give up that life on our behalf.  There is the manger, up to the cross – 33 years of his life lived out JUST FOR ME!  No self-seeking motives.  He gave up all of heaven to live a perfectly righteous life in the place of His bride, the church (of which I am one ).

Now, the climax of the story.  After the baby lives out this perfect life for me, He willingly dies for me.  I am not good enough to even pay the price of my sins on my own.  He pays the penalty for me, and all those who will call on His name, AND He puts our enemies in their place – under His feet.

 Yeah, that part where He shouts out, “It is finished,”  He was shouting I have won the war against sin and death, I am sovereign ruler – seated at the right hand of God the Father and the enemy is now under my feet! (I Cor. 15:20-28).   Three days later He rose from the grave – proving his vicotry over sin (I Cor. 15:55) and a few weeks later took his place at God’s right hand, where he now rules over the world (Eph. 1:19-21).

 It’s hard to see the conquering King in that stable scene we love to display during the holidays.  But if you stop and think; about the real event, the end of the story, the things he did for you, and the fact that the battles surrounding your struggles and sin were conquered on the cross (Rom. 8:31-39).  I think you will remember that the baby in the manger IS the greatest gift of all.

Have a very MERRY CHRISTMAS!