“Poinsettia” in watercolor

My brother and I rode a jeep to attend worship service one Sunday morning. There were no passengers inside except for a little boy. He was wearing a long worn shirt that touches his knee. His bare feet and hands covered in grime. He held a box wrapped with festive paper scribbled with the word donations on top. While we gave him something I ponder about Christmas.

Like the little boy we are all covered with the grime, hopelessness and weariness of sin until…Christmas.

God of the Most High became God of the Most Low. God became man in Jesus Christ. Why would he come for us? Why would he stoop low to save such undeserving souls?

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16 ESV)

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. (Romans 5:6-11 ESV)

I tremble at the good news.

The greatest gift this Christmas is Jesus Christ–his presence, his word, his life and death and resurrection, his love and grace and peace and hope. He is our Lord and Savior.

So Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. (Hebrews 9:28 ESV)

The question is will you accept this free gift of eternal life? Will you receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?

John Piper: “We can say, ‘Merry Christmas,’ because we have been freed from the horrible slavery of sin and death.”

A Merry Christmas to us all! Thank you Jesus!