The Pastor’s Pen

By Steven Temple

 

This past week we celebrated Christmas. The birth of our savior in our Christian belief. To many, it is just a holiday or a day or two off from work to relax and spend time with family and friends. To others, it is a day that they see the commercialization of and it brings disgust. But what is Christmas?

We can find the story of the very first Christmas in Luke Chapter 2 of the Bible. It tells the story of the birth of Jesus. It tells of how Joseph and Mary traveled to Bethlehem, how there was no room at the inn and they had to make the best of it by staying in a manger, about the shepherds coming, the wise men following the star to this birth, the angels singing, to this miraculous birth of a child that we now celebrate on December 25th every year.

But what is it about this season of Christmas? If we just take a look around us we can see many things take place during this time that seem to be more evident than any other time of the year. For example, we know that during the Christmas season people tend to be more loving. We will speak to people we normally don’t speak to, we are friendly with strangers, we may even hug people that we don’t hug any other time of the year. We give people greetings and blessings. We wish them a Merry Christmas. We even share love by giving others gifts. It is a time of year that warms our hearts. It softens up us as people. It is the one time a year that we find pleasure in giving to others. Our hearts worry about others and their welfare. Donations to charities are at an all time high during this time of the year. What is happening? What we see is love coming to the forefront of every action that we have.

Despite the stress that comes along with the season everything we do is overcome with a deeper love. Love outweighs the fast paced, hurried, rushing to get things done attitudes. Love overcomes the hard feelings that are had throughout the year towards someone and we tend to forgive easier in this season of Christmas more than any other time of the year. Love overcomes the things that we thought would hinder us or did hinder us. Love becomes more evident just about everywhere we look. And I believe that is what the birth of Christ came to do in our lives.

Jesus came in a time of so much uncertainty. It had been about 400 years since the last prophet of God had spoken. It was a dark time spiritually, physically, and a dark time in the history of civilization. But, right in the season of hopelessness the arrival of the Messiah came. Love was delivered and given to us in such a simple way.

JOHN 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Then it goes on to say in Verse 17, “For God sent not His son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved.” God saw the shape of the world. He saw the sorrow, the hurt, the pain, the hopelessness, the darkness, the sadness, and love moved Him to send His son in a time of despair, in a time of hurt, to save, to deliver, and to share His great, unlimited love for the people.

As Christmas has passed and we look back at how we had prepared, sought, bought, and went out of our way making sure we share love by gifting the perfect gift to those we love, God was birthing the greatest gift ever given, HIS SON JESUS, to us. The miraculous gift, the miraculous birth. Great love was sent to you and I in the form of a baby, wrapped in swaddling clothes, laying in a manger. This miraculous gift from God was not sent to just a select few people, but was sent to all. This Jesus was sent for you and for me. This Savior had come to bring salvation to all people.

His love was so great that it could not be contained to one generation. This great love is still shed abroad. Jesus was sent to this earth on this day in order to rescue you, redeem you, deliver you, heal you, to bind up your broken hearts, and ultimately to save you.

This baby, lying in a manger, in the stall of the animals, comes to show you and I what love really is. God loved you before you ever knew Him. He loves you at your best and at your worst, when you are up and when you are down. His love has no boundaries and it is never more evident than Him sending His only begotten son to this earth for you. This is what Christmas is really about. Christmas is love and love is Christmas. Accept this gift of love from God.

 

Reverend Steven Temple is the Pastor of The Church on the Hill, Rose Hill, VA