Guest Post from J Bennett Easterling: Making Christmas Personal

 



                                               MAKING CHRISTMAS PERSONAL

 

A teenager in our little country church many years ago had a self-image problem. So convinced was he of his “unworthiness” he refused to take Holy Communion. Nothing we or the minister said could convince him otherwise. I shall never forget the sadness of seeing him sitting alone and forlorn in one of the rear pews as the rest of us joined together in joyful Christmas communion.

Sadly, many still struggle with the idea that we are not “good enough” to please God. Maybe that’s why the Holy Spirit gave the prophet Isaiah this all-inclusive vision some 700 years before the birth of Jesus:

               “Unto us a child is born. Unto us a son is given. And the government will be on his shoulders.

               And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. “

                                                                                                      (Isaiah 9:6 New International Version)

Let’s resolve this Christmas to remember that everything about Messiah’s birth was “Unto us”:

Unto us: The people sitting in great darkness have seen a great light. (The Lord’s birth flooded our dark and hopeless world with the truth that God is for us—not against us).

Unto us: The heavens were opened, and a great host of Angels announced the Lord’s birth.

Unto us: A Savior lives!

Unto us: The Lamb of God came to take away the sins of the world—including ours

Unto us: Our Father sent the Holy Spirit of Jesus to earth to indwell every believer (Christ in us, assures us that we will spend eternity with Him in heaven).

Unto us: Christ fulfilled every Messianic prophesy of the Old Testament.

Unto us: To the Laws of Moses our Lord announced that salvation is by grace through faith—and not by our good works.

Unto us: God became a human being on Planet Earth, Emanuel, meaning God with us.

Unto us: God made himself vulnerable, tired, and weak—one who understands our faults and failures yet loves us unconditionally.

Unto us: He revealed his true self; a God of mercy, forgiveness and redemption.

So dear friend, however you choose to celebrate Christmas this year, by all means let’s remember that the Christ child was a gift (to us personally) from God.

                              “Unto us a child was born; unto us a Messiah was given.”

See more Christmas posts HERE.

Read more posts by and about J Bennett Easterling and his award-winning books HERE.

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