Merry Christmas, everyone!
I am grateful for the deep, deep love that Jesus showed us in coming to earth to become a human being who lived among us and revealed what a perfectly loving and perfectly selfless life looks like.
We would be deeply impressed and taken aback if a billionaire left his wealth and his comfortable surroundings to move into a financially struggling and crime-ridden community to reveal through his life how a person living in such circumstances can be honest, industrious, kind, and selfless.
Jesus did far more than this. In heaven, he had wealth, status, glory, and honor that surpassed what we may find with the most wealthy, elite, intelligent, impressive, and respected people who have ever or will ever live. No one has ever been, nor will ever be, able to compete with the awe, the glory, and the honor that exists in heaven.
But Jesus saw struggling humanity on earth, oppressed by sin and doomed to a life that would end in death with no hope of a resurrection and future life. He saw the wretchedness that Satan had created around the earth. He saw that there was no other way for humanity to have access to eternal life than for Him to die.
He left the glories of heaven, and became a human being: first a baby, then a child, then a teenager, and then a man. He was born in an animal feed bowl (a manger) in a barn, and He was raised in Nazareth: a despised town (John 1:46). He was homeless as a man (Luke 9:58). He lived a humble life and the power and dignity that He revealed came from the relationship that He steadfastly maintained with His Father (John 8:28-29 and John 14:10).
At the end of His life on earth, Jesus died for our sins, paying the awful penalty that none of us could have ever paid. And it gets better! Jesus rose from the dead and is now functioning as our Great High Priest in heaven! And it gets better! Jesus is coming again and He will bring everyone who has surrendered to and cooperated with His loving efforts to save us to heaven to first live with Him there.
In closing, let’s keep our chins up. Jesus loves us: all of us. There is nothing that anyone has ever done or will ever do that can cause Him to stop loving us. He hates sin because it separates us from Him and from one another.
Jesus is marvelous, loving, and merciful. Let us all listen to His loving appeals.
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 (KJV)
“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” Revelation 3:20 (KJV)
Blessings and courage to all. ❤
Learn and Grow 4ever 