Dec 25 2008
Merry Christmas!
Today, I’m placing a new stake of celebration into the ground. In contemplating what really happened on this day so many hundreds of years ago, I gain a surpassing victory. What I’ve neglected to realize for so many Christmases has robbed me.
Thankfully, whether or not I celebrate this day with the awareness of what really took place 2,000 years ago in Bethlehem doesn’t change what actually did happen.
Christmas is not a day to celebrate the birth of a good man. Or a good teacher. Or the most compassionate heart that ever lived. Or an agent of change. Or a reformer. Or a revivalist. Or a miracle worker. Or a million other things that Jesus was.
No, today we celebrate the birth of our Savior — and therefore, the birth of our freedom from satan’s dominion.
Before this year, I’ve always thought the best way I could celebrate today was by wishing Jesus a Happy Birthday. Honestly. Isn’t that the right thing to do on someone’s birthday? But this year, I’ve been pushed a step further.
Yes, today we celebrate the day He was born. But why was He born? Let’s back up to Adam and Eve. Let’s remember how perfect their lives were. Let’s remember that they had none of the afflictions that we have today — no sickness, no lack, no want, no pain, no hurt, no brokenness… no problems whatsoever. Let’s remember how perfect their relationship was with God. Nothing, absolutely nothing, separated them from Him. And let’s remember that in His immense love for Adam and Eve, He even allowed them to turn away from Him. He came to walk with them in the cool of the day, every day. He pursued them. He told them what was right. He told them what was wrong. But He didn’t make them robots. And what did Adam and Eve do with their free will? They chose death. They chose the law. They chose sin. And everything bad and wretched was given an open door into their lives; satan dominated them.
Oh, how God’s heart must have broke. Man, forgive me for just writing the understatement of the century! His heart didn’t just break. It shattered. Into a million tiny pieces. Those that He loved, those that He created, turned away.
After that, man could still have a relationship with God — but only through the law. And the law is horrible. It kills. There’s no mercy in the law. There’s only judgement. Man was separated from God by a cold, hard wall. And God hated it. But the law was a covenant between God and man.
At a marriage ceremony, as the couple are exchanging vows, they say “’til death do us part”. That’s because marriage is a covenant; covenants are only broken when one of the parties dies.
God wanted us back. So He formulated a plan — a plan to give His own life, to break that old covenant (even though we chose it) and win us back. But first, He had to be born as a man.
Today I celebrate the birth of Redemption — my redemption. Today I celebrate His immense, overpowering, never ending, unconditional, outrageous love for me. He could have left us under that old covenant — the covenant of death — since, after all, we chose it. He could have wiped all of us away and started over. He could have let satan continue to reign and have dominion over us. We deserved it. We chose it. But He didn’t. He loved us instead. He loved us enough to come and die a ruthless death and break that covenant and elevate us to the position of His very own children.
Yes, today I don’t just remember that He came — I also remember why He came.
He came because He wanted us. He wanted to have a relationship with us again. He wanted to adopt us as His own children. He also wanted to put satan underneath our feet. He wanted to defeat satan so completely that we could have total dominion and authority over him and all that he represents. Sickness, poverty, lack, hurt, misery, pain. God didn’t just make it so that we could call out to Him when I faced such evil. Instead, He put everything into our hands so that we, individually, could triumph over satan.
Want something good for Christmas this year? How about total victory over your adversaries?
She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save His people from their sins. … And they will call Him “Immanuel” which means, “God with us”. -Matthew 1: 21, 23
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” -Isaiah 9:6
Holy wow…….
”and elevate us to the position of His very own children.”…that just completely wrecks me….
This is an incredible post, Sis. Your writing blows me away! What’s really not at all surprising is how Daddy has been speaking exactly this to me today too! I received a book from Dad for Christmas( I actually chose it, haha), and it’s a paraphase of Romans. It’s a little bit like The Message, but the whole book is just the book of Romans. I’ve had a migraine all day, but I’ve hardly been able to put this book down. It’s amazing reading the whole book of Romans in context, and this post just totally complimented all I’ve been reading about the law of love, and the law of sin and death. I can’t speak beyond that!
What joy this has brought to my heart! I love that christmas isn;t just about a good man being born but SO much more… it leads to easter, to him dying for us, Him loving us. Wow! Doesn;t Christmas just have a totally new meaning when we think of all this?! How i love you! Thank you for sharing the Truth! Thank you Lord!