Now What?

Merry Christmas

The Christmas season is a sentimental time. It lends itself to memories and attempts at memory making - family get-togethers and all the dysfunction that may or may not go along with that. We sing about romantic ideas like chestnuts roasting on an open fire somewhere, of sleigh bells and silver bells, of mamas kissing  Santa, and grandma getting run over by reindeer…okay, maybe we’re not always thinking romantically about Christmas.

There is the housecleaning and decorating and cooking and shopping and gift wrapping and event coordinating that goes along with the high expectations we have for this particular holiday. For some of us, it may only feel like a whole lot of work.

Some of us might struggle with disappointments, broken relationships, or unpleasant memories that return with the season. So much gets added to Christmas, sometimes we can forget why we celebrate.

When I was a little girl, I would sit under the Christmas tree listening to my mom’s Christmas records – Elvis, Brenda Lee, Nat King Cole, and some wild Russian guitar players. I would study the Christmas catalogs naming all the children in the pajama ads - I was a lonely child. Mom’s one piece manger set was under the tree with me, along with a two-foot high stuffed Santa, and a little angel girl stuck inside a see-through plastic candle. I would usually have a dog or two by my side. I loved to look at the lights sparkling off the ornaments.

There was a stuffed tiger in the back bedroom on top of a dresser. If I climbed up the dresser and sat on that tiger, I could look out the window and see the main road that my dad had to drive down to get home. I would sit there for hours waiting for him to come home – anticipating his arrival – his advent.

My dad coming home would mean McDonald’s and ice cream sundaes, trips to the park, Saturday evening television with popcorn, Sunday funnies and books to read. My dad was fun.

Because my parents did not get along, sometimes my dad didn’t come home. If it happened to be Christmas time their relational drama would become more acute. I would sit on that tiger waiting. I yearned for the companionship of my Father - the belonging, the security and safety of his presence.

At Christmas time we remember the first coming or Advent of our Lord Jesus. The Jewish people had been waiting for Messiah, but He came in a way they didn’t expect.

The prophet Isaiah proclaimed about 700 years before Jesus’s birth, (Isaiah 9:6) For a child will be born to us; a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

This verse is a birth announcement for a King - a King with all the authority and sovereignty due Him.

Paul describes him in his letter to the Colossians:

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities – all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also the head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven (Colossians 1:15-20).

This is a King that has no comparison with any earthly king or ruler that has ever existed or ever will exist – and He was given to us – a disobedient, lowly, weak, selfish, and often incredibly foolish creation.

He is our Wonderful Counselor. All wisdom resides with Him and He is indeed wonderful!

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14).

…Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption… (1 Corinthians 1:30).

To this Beautiful, Miracle-Working , Wonderful Counselor we have free access.

As James admonishes us, But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him (James 1:5).

We can ask Him for that wisdom we sorely need, and He will give it.

Therefore since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:14-16).

We have His friendship, His Word, His Spirit, and His promises.

I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you shall go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you (Psalm 32:8).

He is our Wonderful Counselor!

He is our Mighty God - our Defender, our Refuge, our Rock, and our Deliverer. All wisdom resides with Him and He has all power to act on that wisdom.

The prophet Jeremiah cries out, Ah Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You… O great and mighty God. The Lord of hosts is His name;

And the Lord answers him, “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?” (Jeremiah 32:17, 18b, 27).

If we have acknowledged, accepted, and trusted in Jesus as our Savior – the One who paid the price for our sin on the cross – then He is our Mighty God! Is anything we are going through too difficult for Him?

He is our Mighty God in the manger, He is our Mighty God who calms the stormy sea (Mark 4:39), and He is our Mighty God who rose from the dead and conquered sin and death. Is anything too complicated and messy for Him to handle?

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life; whom shall I dread? (Psalm 27:1)

He is our Mighty God!

He is our Eternal Father – everlasting, might to save – He will not fail. Our Jesus is outside of time.

As John explains in his gospel, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it (John 1:1-5).

As Charles Spurgeon said, “God was, when nothing else was. He was God when the earth was not a world but a chaos. If God himself were of yesterday, he would not be a suitable refuge for mortals. The eternal existence of God is here mentioned to set forth, by contrast, the brevity of human life.”

This Everlasting is not inclined to let go of what is His. You can rest in those arms. If we are His, He is for us.

Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,” so that we confidently say, “The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What will man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:5-6)

He is our faithful, Everlasting Father!

He is our Prince of Peace – our Comfort, our Solace, and the Lifter of our head.

As the apostle Paul explains, For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to those who were near; for through Him we both have our access to the Father (Ephesians 2:14-18).

For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise (Galatians 3:26-29).

Jesus is our peace with God, our peace with others, and our peace within ourselves.

As Corrie ten Boom, rescuer of Jews in World War II and survivor of a Nazi prison camp said, "Look at the world—you'll be distressed. Look within—you'll be depressed. Look at Christ—you'll be at rest."

All this we have received for Christmas! Out of all people everywhere Jesus people should probably be the merriest – “honoring Christmas in our hearts and keeping it all year,” as Dickens’ Ebenezer determined in his A Christmas Carol.

He is our Prince of Peace!

As Paul reminded the Galatians, But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God (Galatians 4:4-7).

Because of Jesus we are sons and daughters of the King!

I waited for my dad, my earthly abba, as a child and sometimes he disappointed me as mortals are prone to do. Now as an adult, I am waiting for my heavenly Abba to return – His second coming or Advent is sure. His first visit was a surprise – not what His followers expected. Let us be ready for His second coming. Our God is faithful – he won’t let us down.

Amen, Come Lord Jesus! (Revelation 22:20)