Jesus
“Look! The virgin will conceive a child!
She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel,
which means ‘God with us.’”
Matthew 1:23 (NLT)
As we get closer to Christmas, I am really reflecting on the fact that Jesus was fully human and fully God. He left heaven and clothed Himself in humanity, with all it’s limitations and emotions for us!
Jesus was singular in His purpose and determined in His actions. He showed us the love of the Father and everything He did was poured out from that deep well of love and acceptance for each of us. He walked and experienced all we do, He knows the weakness and strength of being human. He came to be near us and He didn’t walk away from the hard things.
Time and time again as Jesus shared in the synagogues or on the country-side and as He healed and fed those in need, the people begged Him to stay. There was always more need and more people who could have been touched. If He wanted to, He could have built a mega-church and settled in with a great, fruitful ministry. The disciples would have probably loved that. But Mark 1:38 shares Jesus’ heart and purpose: “But Jesus replied, ‘We must go on to other towns as well, and I will preach to them, too. That is why I came.’” In the margin of my Bible I wrote: “Jesus stayed focused on His purpose. He didn’t allow the needs of those around Him distract Him from that.” Staying to meet all of the needs would have been a compassionate and humanitarian thing to do. After all, they were the very people He loved with all His being. Jesus knew where He needed to go…the cross, for our ultimate and complete healing. A great lesson and reminder for us is that a need doesn’t constitute a calling. He met the needs of people on the way to fulfill His calling ~ the very reason He came to earth.
I know this sounds more like something to write for Easter, but I am so overcome with gratitude that Jesus came as a helpless baby and as he grew experienced all things we do, knowing that the end of His time on earth would be a hideous and humiliating death. Jesus came so we could be set free and live whole lives.
Dean loved visiting the field where the angels proclaimed the birth of Jesus to the shepherds. Did you know that it is the same field that Ruth met and gleaned from Boaz? It’s just like God to have the place Ruth found her redeemer, be where He announces the birth of our Redeemer. The One who was born to bring us from death to life and into a relationship with Himself. He is sentimental and I love that about God.
“Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir.” Galatians 4:7
and then there’s this:
“I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends. since I have told you everything the Father told me.” John 15:15
It’s not a secret or a private club, Jesus came to have a personal relationship with each one of us. He longs for us to come to Him and talk about all the things we are walking through. What a great invitation we have! That is the gift of Christmas. A God who knows us and loves us.
God’s heart from the beginning was us!
“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed. He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the Lord’s favor has come, and with it , the day of God’s anger against their enemies.” Isaiah 61:1&2 (NLT)
His purpose, His passion, His very heart is us! We are the reason He came.
Let’s take a moment to really let that sink in. Allow God’s love wash over us and take away the doubt, fear, busyness of this time and rest in knowing we are seen and loved.
Merry Christmas!
All My Love ~
JB xoxo
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