A Blue Christmas

So what?

MawMaw only put up the manager last year. I think she was right in doing so. Emphasize the reason for the season, the reason for Christmas. If there weren’t pain, suffering, sin, destruction, discouragement, and death, (if those things did not exist) then there would be no need for Christmas. This holiday is about suffering, this holiday is about pain. Now we have made this a holiday of celebration and that is right because we celebrate the coming of the Messiah. When we do that we might forget why he came. He came to end suffering, sin, brokenness, pain death, destruction and discouragement. This is the sufferer’s holiday. This is not the holiday to be avoided, those who are grieving should run toward Christmas. What Christmas tells me is that there is hope for those who are bereaved. Christmas tells me that God has, will and will continue to address what we are going through (Immanuel). Jesus came to deal with the source of our suffering and that source is sin. Sin has come into our world and the wages of sin is death. Jesus’ birth began God’s plan to deal with sin. Only God could solve our sin problem. Jesus came and lived a perfect life and then he died for us satisfying God’s wrath against us. Jesus rose again conquering sin and death. Must receive the gift of Jesus- given a gift but each one must open it. How do we open this gift? Through faith. What is faith? 2 parts of faith; One is inactive- believe what the angel told Joseph- “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”” Matthew 1:21, NIV. The other part of faith is active. Repent, confess and be baptized. “And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.’” Acts 22:16, NIV. Still an unopened gift under the tree? What are we going to do with it?