For the past month we have been running around trying to find the perfect gift for everyone we love, stressing out that the ham will be too small, decorating cookies, trees, houses, and anything else that can remotely be decorated. Beverages at Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts are even created just to celebrate this one day out of the year. We sing songs, gather together, go to church on the Eve of the holiday, and wear matching pajamas for family photos. We do all of this for one day out of the year; it’s the biggest and most extravagant holiday we celebrate. Sometimes, I think we get so caught up in this “Americanized” holiday that we forget why we celebrate in the first place.
It’s not so much what we are celebrating, but who we are celebrating. I’m sure we have all heard, “Jesus is the reason for the season”. However, I think that’s even become cliché and commonplace. We are celebrating the birth of Jesus, the living Word of God. My favorite part of the Christmas story is the fact that God brings Jesus, the Savior of the world, to earth… as a baby. This is ironic because babies are weak and dependent. They cannot even feed themselves. But for some reason, God chooses to send Jesus as a baby.
I love this irony because we too are weak and dependent. Sure, we can pick up a spoon and put a pile of mashed potatoes on our plate, but we are spiritually dependent on God. Because of this, we needed Jesus to come. We were too weak, given to sin, and thus separated from our Heavenly Father. The Gospel is simple. It’s so simple that God centered it around a baby. He could have chosen anything he wanted, but He chose a baby. If that doesn’t say humility, then I don’t know what does.
But let’s not rest on that fact that Jesus was sent to us as a baby and stop there. We all know babies grow up. I mean, we were once a baby. So, what did Jesus grow up to be? Jesus was a carpenter. I love His career choice because not only did he build material things, He was building His Kingdom. He fixed and repaired things, but more than that, He came to fix and repair a broken world and a broken people.
Lastly, I would like to bring to your attention that Jesus is Lord. It might be hard for us to imagine and picture because it’s hard to think of a baby having so much glory and power, but it’s true. Jesus is Lord. Because Jesus is Lord we can rest assured that He is in control and working all things together for good. He has a plan for the future of the world. And guess what? You are included in that plan. Jesus is not just “some” Lord that does not care about the people of His Kingdom, He is One who wants to know you and have relationship with you. He wants to speak to you and with you. Mike Bickle tweeted the other day that, “The Bible is meant to create an active and ongoing dialogue between you and God”. He is a Lord that wants to know you. But for Him to be our Lord, we must surrender to His control and His plan. At first glance this doesn’t seem appealing, but when you truly know Jesus and have relationship with Him, you don’t want it any other way.
As we close out this Christmas season and put away our nativity sets, let’s remember why we even have these things to begin with. Because we are celebrating that some 2,000 years ago a baby was born. But this wasn’t just going to be any baby that grew up to have a normal career in carpentry. This baby was already Lord. He is Lord. I love the sacred carols, “O Come Let Us Adore Him” and “O Holy Night” because of the truths they proclaim. Yes, let us all adore our sweet baby Jesus, but let us also fall on our knees because Christ is the Lord that brought peace and broke our sinful chains.
Now that we have established that Jesus is Lord, how are you going to apply that to your life? Take time to seek the Lord and pray about how you can make Jesus Lord in your Christmas as well as your everyday life. For Jesus is not just Lord on December 25… He is Lord both now and forever!
Jenny Bushnell
#MyPAG 