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Tis the season once again. It's almost Christmas time!
It's a time where we celebrate the birth of Jesus, born in obscurity to a virgin in the small town of Bethlehem. Though God Almighty, he was born in a stable; though the king over all of creation, he was laid in a cattle feeding trough. What a strangely beautiful picture Christmas is – a highly pregnant virgin riding many miles on the back of a donkey, only to lay her weary head on a bed of straw in a stable as she gave birth to her son; angels appearing to shepherds and speaking to them about the glorious event that had taken place nearby, the shepherds in turn telling everyone they meet about what they had seen and heard; wise men journeying from a far away land just to lay gifts at the feet of a carpenter’s son; and all the while the baby’s mother was quietly cherishing all of these events in her heart. A strangely beautiful picture indeed.
But the Christmas season also causes us to celebrate so much more. For the birth of the
child 2000 years ago means nothing without his death on a Roman gibbet. The manger means nothing unless it seen in the shadow of the old rugged cross – Bethlehem must give way to Golgotha, the bright star in the East must give way to the darkness that covered the land as Jesus breathed his last, the swaddling clothes must accede to the torn veil in the temple, and all of us must ultimately bow, not to a baby as the wise men did, but to a risen Lord, a lamb that was slain, but is now alive. Though his sacred head was bruised it was not crushed, though he was "pierced for our transgressions and wounded for our iniquities" he now reigns at the right hand of the Father as Saviour, Redeemer and Lord.
Yes it is Christmas, but Christmas is only a time of joy, peace, love and grace because we know that Easter has also happened. We rejoice in this day because we know that in the birth of Jesus, ". . . the Lord, the God of Israel, [because he] has come and has redeemed his people. He has raised up a horn of salvation [for us] in the house of his servant David (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago), salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us— to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, the oath he swore to our father Abraham: to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all our days." (Lk 1:68-75)
So this Christmas seasons may we all "Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. Sing to the LORD, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world. Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you." (Isaiah 12:4-6)
Soli Deo Gloria