We often greet each other saying, "Merry
Christmas" The etymological meaning of Merry is "Mighty" We should greet each
other saying, "Mighty Christmas". Indeed, our Lord God who is mighty and
magnificent yet always merciful is upon the Throne. Yet, He is with us,
"Emmanuel, God with us." It is written, "The Word became flesh and dwelt
amongst us". Eugene Petersen in The
Message paraphrases this verse, "The Word became flesh and blood, and moved
into the neighborhood" (John 1:14).
Two young men on a battlefield in World War II made it to the safety of a foxhole amid enemy fire. As they looked out before them across the battlefield they perceived the horror of dead and dying men, twisted barbed wire, the earth scarred with deep holes left by cannon fire. Some men were lifeless, others crying out for help. Finally one of the men cried: "Where in the world is God?" As they continued to watch and listen they soon noticed two medics, identified by the red cross on their arms and their helmets, carefully making their way across the perilous scene. As they watched, the medics stopped and began to load a wounded soldier onto their stretcher. Once loaded they began to work their way to safety. As the scene unfolded before them, the other soldier now boldly answered the honest, but piercing question of his friend, saying, "There is God! There is God!"
When Jesus became a man He came to show us
God. He came in the midst of the loneliness and the horror of a world gone
mad. Despite the chaos and confusion Jesus announced that God is here. God is
here in Christ. Christ has come among us to show us who God is and what God is.
. . Jesus. In the act of becoming human He
identified with our pain, sadness, and loneliness. He brought to us His peace
and His joy. Indeed, He brought to us the wonderful gift of reconciliation.
He broke the power of darkness. He rules with truth and grace. He is our
Eternal Contemporary. He takes our pain, our
sorrow, and even our sin upon Himself. He transcends it all and gives to us
salvation, eternal life, and everlasting joy.
Joseph Damien was a nineteenth-century
missionary who ministered to people with leprosy on the island of Molokai,
Hawaii. Those suffering with that dread disease grew to love him and revered
the sacrificial life he lived out before them. One morning before Damien was to lead daily worship he was pouring some
hot water into a cup when the water swirled out and fell onto his bare foot. It
took him a moment to realize that he had not felt any sensation. Gripped by the
sudden fear of what this could mean, he poured more hot water on the same spot.
There was no feeling whatsoever. Damien immediately knew what had happened. As
he walked tearfully to deliver his sermon, no one at first noticed the
difference in his opening line. He normally began every sermon with, "My fellow
believers", but this morning he began with, "My fellow lepers."
In a greater measure Jesus came into this
world knowing what it would cost Him. He bore in His pure being the marks of
evil, that we might be pure. He bore in His sinless soul the weight of sin, so
that we could be forgiven. He bore in His manly frame the hurt and pain of
injustice, that we might be understood. God
is here understanding our hurt and identifying with our pain. He feels. He
hurts. He cries. He came, He saw, and He has conquered. "The kingdoms of this
world have become the kingdom of our God and of His Christ and He shall reign
for ever and ever. Jesus became a man so God
becomes touchable, approachable and reachable.
Max Lucado wrote, '"Just call Me Jesus,' you
can almost hear Him say. He was the kind of fellow you'd invite to watch the
Rams- Giants game at your house. He'd wrestle on the floor with your kids, doze
on your couch and cook steaks on your grill. He'd laugh at your jokes and tell
a few of His own. And when you spoke, He'd listen to you as if He had all the
time in eternity." In the words of John Wesley, "The best of all, Jesus is with
us".
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye
steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye
know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. (1 Corinthians
15:58)
When the song of the angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flock,
The work of Christmas begins:
To find the lost,
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry,
To release the prisoner,
To rebuild the nations,
To bring peace among brothers,
To make music in the heart.
1 comment:
happy new year guys...all of you.
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