Posted by
Richard Stauch on Thursday, December 25, 2008 8:22:45 AM
So many stories! There's so much bad news, so much negativity. There are so many wrong-headed 'good news' messages, too. What we need is a moment to reflect on the real Good News; the real Message of Christmas.
With the weather so bad (yes, it's too cold to talk about Global Warming -- so let's use the meaningless phrase: Global Climate Change -- as if this doesn't happen every season), with so much death and destruction (southern Israel gets rockets for Christmas, this year), with all the bad news for Wall Street (need I say more?), we really need to hear some good news.
Christmas isn't about money, war, or weather. It isn't about well-wishes or the second-chance, either. It isn't about anything we puny humans can do, think or say. It is about something more awesome and wonderful than everything that all mankind has done, is doing, or ever will do throughout human history.
Jesus put it best himself when speaking to Nicodemus:
"As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up;
so that all who believe in Him will not die but have eternal life. For God so loved the world
that He gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not die, but have
eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the
world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged. He who does not
believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten
Son of God. This is the judgement, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the
darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the
Light, and does not come into the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But he who
practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been
done in God." (John 3:14-21)
The Christmas Message is the plan of God, who loves us, to send his Son into the world so that those who believe in Him will live because of His righteousness, and not die for thier sins.
God is not, as Bette Midler insists, at a distance, watching us. He is right here, right with me; He's right there, right with you. You are turned inward, thinking of yourself, but He has His arms of love outstretched to you, whispering, "Honey, turn around."
It is because we are separated from God because of our sins, and God wants to change that. He wants to be with you in eternity.
That's the Message of Christmas: God's love for you, His desire to be with you, and what He did to make that possible.
Merry Christmas!