ZPCBlog

About the author: Liz was born in Belfast Northern Ireland. She emigrated to Canada at age 11 and was educated in Canada. She married and moved to the states in 1973, lived in Michigan for 5 years, and since then, Indiana. She was a British subject, a Canadian citizen, and now a naturalized citizen of the United States. She was so proud of belonging to these 3 countries until she discovered her true citizenship is in heaven with Jesus. She has been a member of ZPC since 1987.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
John 3:16-17

My favorite hymn as a very young child in Ireland was “Away in a Manger, no crib for a bed, the little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head.” I was always disappointed when suddenly, we didn’t sing that in church anymore. My mother explained it was a Christmas hymn and only sung at Christmas. I didn’t get it, but I do now.                                                                                                                                       

Todays scripture verses are probably two of the best known and memorized verses in the Bible. They comfort those who believe these truths. The promise of eternal life after our physical death. I wonder how often we quote them or read quickly read through them without truly looking at or thinking through the great plan that was executed so long ago by “Our Great God.”

The impossible became reality. Judgement for our sin became redemption or full forgiveness with no penalty to pay on our part. God knows us so intimately, he knew we had to be able to relate to what he was planning or we would never understand.

We all feel a connection to babies. They are a miracle from God. Who else could form all the necessary bones, nerves, blood, cells, and organs in a mother’s womb needed to create this living person?

But this baby called Jesus had to be more than that, he needed to have the attributes of his Father, to be God himself, as well as the human likeness of his Mother Mary. That was it! This was the Son of God and the son of man. Mission accomplished! This sweet baby would be all these things for us, so that his sacrifice would be the ultimate sacrifice, the propitiation to present us as righteous to a holy God.

We, in our mere humanity, could understand this person who grew up and walked among us. This person who experienced what we experienced. This Jesus who willingly fulfilled his Father’s will by taking on the punishment we deserved through his death, so our death, our eternal death, which was the cost of sin, would not be required. We could live forever! Why would we not believe this truth which the whole Bible points to from beginning to end? I believe this is all true. The world had been in darkness for so long but God in his perfect timing shone his light through the birth of baby Jesus.

Each Christmas we admire the baby in the manger and read the Christmas story, but do we bow in worship before this One who came from heaven and spent his human life serving us, loving us, teaching us, and then dying for us? Surely our faith reaches new heights when we consider the cost.

Take time to consider all these things and give him the worship he deserves. Believe me, your world will be full of light when you do. Show your children and grandchildren the light of the world, don’t let them miss out the way I missed out at an early age.        

 Prayer

Jesus,
We worship you as our Lord and Savior, we bow before your throne as King. We pray for your light to shine into our darkness, our hard circumstances and even reawaken the brightness of our joy in knowing you. Let us celebrate once more the promises this new birth brings.  
Amen

MERRY CHRISTMAS ZPC!

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