It's the last day of the mini series and of course, I saved the best for last! :)
So this imagination time will be interesting...
Imagine you're a baby.
I know you've been a baby once...however, you may not remember, but oh well.
Anyway, you're a newborn baby...totally dependent on others, clueless of the evil of the world, and innocent.
People are taking turns holding you and admiring your precious face and little toes.
Your mother has swaddled you in blankets and put you in a manger of hay.
Luke 2:7 says, "And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped him in cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn".
Now fast forward 33 years later (this is a little more difficult to imagine), you have now figured out the purpose of your life. God, your father, has sent you here on earth to save the world. You are perfect and sinless. There is no way you can do anything wrong (yeah I told you this was the hard part). You thrive to be in relationship with others so you can share your father's (God) love with them, but there's something else you must do.
You must sacrifice yourself for the sinful people of the world so that they may have life. Although you are totally perfect in every way possible, completely innocent, you want to save everyone from damnation in hell because you know that they are sinful and are in need of a savior.
So you were beaten, crucified and hung on a cross for the people of the world.
It was painful. It wasn't fair, but you knew you had to do it.
You wanted to do it so that they would not suffer.
Death, however, did not win. You may have died on the cross, but God raised you from the dead 3 days later to prove to the world that death does not overcome when you believe in God. You spent some time on earth, loving on people and then you went to Heaven.
It's pretty hard to imagine, huh?
For a baby to one day save the world.
Luke 2:11 - For today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
For a perfect, sinless person to die for an imperfect, sinful world.
John 3:16 - For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.
For a man to be crucified and then resurrected.
Luke 24:6-7 - He is not here, but He has risen. Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee, saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.
For God to come to earth in the flesh of Jesus to show that He loves us enough to live a human life on earth so that He can walk with us. He experienced this evil world (just like we have), even though He was perfect.
John 1:14 - And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of
the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.
That, my friend, is the best gift we will ever receive.
The baby who was "dependent" on his parents is actually the one who everyone depends on.
The baby who was "clueless" of the evil of the world is actually quite informed and even died to overcome evil.
The baby who was "innocent" is still innocent, but guilty of showing the most sacrificial, forgiving, selfless, everlasting love in history.
Out of all the cast members we have learned from, Jesus is the one we can learn the most from including love, patience, forgiveness, sacrifice, trust and the list goes on. If you have any questions about Jesus, please email me!
Merry Christmas! I hope you had a wonderful day full of love, joy and family!
Check out this Christmas song!
"Glory in the Highest" by Chris Tomlin
