I’m going to start with a confession. I don’t feel very Christmas’y… and I’m not really sure why. I’ve been putting off writing this blog because the words have not come as easily as I hoped. A Christmas blog should be easy…right? I mean, Advent – peace, love, joy, hope… and Hark the Herald Angels Sing!
But I just haven’t been feeling it. So I rummaged around in a box until I found an old book with a favorite quote.
“Once upon a time in a makeshift nursery and under a star-marked night, the divine drama of God claimed its stage. God became man.” – Jeannette Clift George
That’s what I want to tell everyone this Christmas. It’s not about the decorations, the food, or the lights. It’s about Jesus, who came to light the way. It’s not about the Christmas plays, but it is about a story – God’s story.
Luke 2 tells about Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem, but our story goes all the way back to Genesis. When God created Adam and Eve, He actually breathed life into them. That means God was here on earth with us way back then too.
And that’s (literally) just the beginning of stories in the Bible about God and His people. And you know what? God always rescues His people. We may suffer through some things first because this world is broken. But God always shows grace, mercy, and love to the world. That’s what Jesus coming to earth was all about.
Jesus came because we had messed up and had a huge debt that we couldn’t pay. God the Father decided to pay our debt for us. God added to the story a way for us to be right with Him again. So, Jesus (God the Son) came to earth to know how it felt to be human. We celebrate His birth, the beginning of His earthly story at Christmas.
So maybe you could rummage around for a book that tells a story. The story of Mary & Joseph, angels, wise men, and that baby in a manger. God sent Jesus to claim the earth as the stage for their story. The message in that story is that God loves you and He wants to rescue you because you have a part to play in His Story! He is Our Father, and we are His Children… and isn’t Christmastime the best time to be a child?!