The heart of Christmas
Christmas is almost here, again! For the first time, the run up to Christmas has been flanked by the football World Cup. It was surreal having big football games on amidst the festive decorations!
It affected many churches, who had to adjust their Christmas services to accommodate certain games. Even though I am not a football fan, the final was nail biting and saw Argentina eventually win!
With under a week to go, it’s time to ‘make a list and check it twice’, so that everything is ready! One thing we love to send and receive, are Christmas cards. For us, it’s a lovely way to send a personal message to family and friends.
We have an eclectic mix of festive images on this year’s cards: The snow-covered candlelit country church, a cartoon Santa and his reindeer flying through the night sky, and of course the Nativity scene: Mary, Joseph, Shepherds, Magi, Angels all perfectly surrounding the manger with a ‘glowing’ baby Jesus in it!
I’m convinced that the Nativity was not like want we see on the cards, but all those characters were involved in an amazing way, and of course their focus should be on that baby!
Christmas is just the glorious birth of Jesus. It was highly profound and significant, as this was no regular baby, but ‘Emmanuel’, which means God with us! But this was only the beginning.
To find out more about Jesus, one has to read on in the Bible to see all the remarkable things he said and did as a man. To sum up what Jesus is all about can be found in the book of John…
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”
I believe the heart of the Christmas message is this:
God, who created the whole universe, including planet earth, loves it all! He also loves you too!
However, this world has been messed up by those who ignore or reject God’s ways.
So, He sent Jesus, as a baby, born to Mary, some 2000 years ago, in Bethlehem as a sign of that love.
His intent was that through Jesus, you and I would be reunited with Him, now and for all eternity.
Jesus is vital, the centre piece of Christmas. This year he could be the centre piece of your life too!
May you have a peaceful and fun Christmas however you spend it.
God bless you :)
Gary Bastin - Hope Community Church leader