Christmas is a time of sharing, caring, gifts, family and friends. December is simply one of the greatest months of the year and yet sometimes the true meaning of Christmas gets hazy and lost in all the good things that take place. We lose sight of the true meaning- “Jesus Christ”.

     Ponder the fact that God, the creator, the One who sculpted us in His own image by just a word from His mouth, Who breathed life into our lifeless body, chose to come down to earth as a man. He chose to be born in poverty, in a dingy smelly stable in Bethlehem. No longer to be called God alone but Savior, Redeemer, Healer, Deliverer, Emanuel. It’s at His birth that He chose to experience what you and I experience, to know the pain of rejection, the joys of love, to know what it’s like to be hungry and thirsty, to walk down the street and see the hollow, empty stares of people longing for something more than religion, something real. He knows what it’s like to be thrust into a world of rejection, a world full of temptation and sin that seems overwhelming. He knows what it feels like to be talked about, to be betrayed by the people who say they love you, and to be hated by the same people that you are there to help.

     He knows what we experience and how we feel in situations that we cannot control. However, He is the only man ever born to die, He took it one step further:

-The dawning of the most important date in history-

     The sun raises with the most majestic display of color ever, bright orange and yellow in a silhouette dance before the greatest demonstration of selfless love ever to be displayed. Through the cool morning breeze a loud whistle is heard as the cat of nine tails shreds its way into the back of our Savior. (Yet He never uttered one word of contempt).

     His skin hangs like ribbons around his legs. Four hundred and fifty Roman soldiers beat him in the face with the palm of their hands; they pluck his beard from his face and mockingly place a crown of thorns around his head. He was beaten so badly that his visage was marred more than that of any other man.

     After they beat Him to extreme exhaustion, He is paraded through the cobblestone streets of Jerusalem down the via dolarosa, like a lamb to the slaughter. The same people who only a week earlier were singing and worshiping Him saying “King of Kings!” and “Lord of Lords!” now shout with a loud voice: “Crucify Him!” spitting on Him and mocking Him the whole way. (How many times have we done that in our lives? With our mouth we praise Him but with our actions we crucify Him.)

     Finally falling under the weight of abuse, He is drug to the hill Golgotha as Simon carries His cross. There the soldiers proceed to nail His hands and feet to a cruel, cold cross, in such a flex that His hands and feet were not fully extended. Every time He would try to breath He would have to pull himself up with the nails in his arms and feet.

     As he hangs from the cross his capillary system explodes from the inside, blood now flows from his eyes and ears as it rolls down his body. By now his muscles have cramped in such a way that every bone in his body is out of its joint. His eyes bulge out of their sockets. His tongue is swollen to the roof of his mouth from dehydration.

     The Roman soldier forcefully thrust a spear in His side and blood and water flowed to the ground. Jesus, then full of passionate love for you and I, speaks the greatest statement of love and forgiveness ever heard “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” And with this He willingly gave up His spirit for you and me.

     Jesus, a King who, at His birth, was born to die. A King who split time in two. This is what we as Christians celebrate. The birth and life of Jesus Christ and yet unfathomably we lose the real meaning of CHRISTmas. I challenge you this CHRISTmas as you spend both time and money on loved ones to show them how much they mean to you, that you would set aside time to show God how much he means to you. Not only through words but also by your actions and in return He will have the greatest present ever ------YOU!

     Signed:

     Jesus -

     the reason for the season

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