Born To Die: What A Destiny?

He comes, a Child from realms on high;

He comes the heavens adoring.

He comes to earth to live and die, A broken race restoring.

(Joseph Barlowe "Break Forth, O Beauteous Heavenly Light")

Born to die: What a destiny? Although each of us knows that every new born baby that we lay our eyes on will one day die, we always hope and dream of the long life that they will live and as we gaze into their eyes for the most part thoughts of life, not death fill our hearts.

It was not so one special day, long ago. As this Father saw His Son being born, He knew that He was being born for one purpose only, and that was to die.

That very first Christmas morning was filled with heavenly awe and celestial celebration. However, God the Father saw, from His perspective, the manger and right next to it He saw the cross. Baby Jesus, God in the flesh was being held up by a wooden manger made from the very wood that He had created, realizing that one day in the not too distant future that wood from another tree that He has created would hold Him up as well, only this time instead of being warmed by the hay wrapped in cloth, He would be cold held up with nails.

As we prepare to celebrate Christmas, just a couple of weeks away, let this year be one in which we see this day in history as one of the most powerful moments ever. Allow that reflection to cause us to praise and worship God for what He has done in a new and fresh way.

Lets remember the true meaning of Christmas, that it was not all about gifts and the hype of the holiday and that it is not even about time spent with family and friends, but it is all about Him, all about Jesus and His leaving Heavens throne to come to earth, to be born and to die so that you and I could live.

My friend, whatever your Christmas plans include this year, please make it a point to take some time and worship God for the true meaning of Christmas. And every time you see manger scenes remember that the reason for the manger was to prepare the way to the cross. And never forget that your new birth in Christ was the prelude not the end to your walk, but that each of us also must take the way to the cross and die to ourselves in order to become alive in Him. Jesus came to show the way. Lets worship Him with our everythingness today.

Pastor MJ