For God So Loved the World
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”
John 3:16-17
Let me start this off with Merry Christmas! This is the one day of the year that a large part of the world celebrates the birth of our Savior. As Christ followers, every day should be a celebration of his birth and resurrection, but December 25th has been celebrated to mark the birth of Christ dating back to 336 AD by Roman Emperor Constantine.
For me, Christmas brings back many memories. We grew up in Chicago while my mother’s family was from Bemidji. Christmas meant leaving Chicago piled into a station wagon packed to the roof with presents and heading to the frozen tundra of Bemidji. As a kid I was focused on one thing only and that was the presents! I would spend days ice fishing trying to make time go by faster. The anticipation would be building up for days, and finally Christmas eve came along with dinner and the dreaded cleanup which only delayed the inevitable pandemonium of the gift unwrapping.
To this day these are fond memories, but there came a time when the excitement of receiving gifts was trumped by the joy of giving gifts. As a father and grandfather, it’s much more gratifying to give the gift. In a strange way the giving is the gift. I feel more blessed by giving the gift than receiving one.
As I contemplate Christmas, the gift of Jesus the world's greatest gift, I was naturally led to the Giver of the gift, God the Father. Suddenly, I was faced with the gravity of the situation. God the Father from the very beginning of creation knew He would need to send His Son in the form of a baby to save the world that had turned from Him. This would include taking on the sins of the world and dying as the perfect sacrifice so that we may be declared forgiven and righteous. As a parent, imagine the anguish the Father went through. The very act of the human incarnation declares the depth of His love for the world. “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” John 15:13.
The other side to the story that also needs to be considered is that the gift, the Son Jesus, was willing to leave His Father’s side and humbly condescend in the form of a baby to live the perfect life, despite all the temptations and suffering we all face, and then endure crucifixion and separation from God the Father so that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. Jesus came not to condemn the world but to save it. There is no greater gift.
As we gather with family and friends this Christmas may we celebrate and declare to the world “For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” Isaiah 9:6-7.
Blessings, greg
John 3:16-17
Let me start this off with Merry Christmas! This is the one day of the year that a large part of the world celebrates the birth of our Savior. As Christ followers, every day should be a celebration of his birth and resurrection, but December 25th has been celebrated to mark the birth of Christ dating back to 336 AD by Roman Emperor Constantine.
For me, Christmas brings back many memories. We grew up in Chicago while my mother’s family was from Bemidji. Christmas meant leaving Chicago piled into a station wagon packed to the roof with presents and heading to the frozen tundra of Bemidji. As a kid I was focused on one thing only and that was the presents! I would spend days ice fishing trying to make time go by faster. The anticipation would be building up for days, and finally Christmas eve came along with dinner and the dreaded cleanup which only delayed the inevitable pandemonium of the gift unwrapping.
To this day these are fond memories, but there came a time when the excitement of receiving gifts was trumped by the joy of giving gifts. As a father and grandfather, it’s much more gratifying to give the gift. In a strange way the giving is the gift. I feel more blessed by giving the gift than receiving one.
As I contemplate Christmas, the gift of Jesus the world's greatest gift, I was naturally led to the Giver of the gift, God the Father. Suddenly, I was faced with the gravity of the situation. God the Father from the very beginning of creation knew He would need to send His Son in the form of a baby to save the world that had turned from Him. This would include taking on the sins of the world and dying as the perfect sacrifice so that we may be declared forgiven and righteous. As a parent, imagine the anguish the Father went through. The very act of the human incarnation declares the depth of His love for the world. “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” John 15:13.
The other side to the story that also needs to be considered is that the gift, the Son Jesus, was willing to leave His Father’s side and humbly condescend in the form of a baby to live the perfect life, despite all the temptations and suffering we all face, and then endure crucifixion and separation from God the Father so that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. Jesus came not to condemn the world but to save it. There is no greater gift.
As we gather with family and friends this Christmas may we celebrate and declare to the world “For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” Isaiah 9:6-7.
Blessings, greg
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