Good Morning Beautiful Friend,
I’ve changed up today’s devotional to share something that’s been on my heart. I pray it will help each of us see the gracious gift our Savior has given us to enjoy not just for this season, but for all eternity.
Wrapped In His Grace,
Dawn
Giving gifts is a HUGE part of Christmas for me. I love to give gifts! But today, I want to unwrap an aspect of this season we rarely focus on. Christmas is about celebrating the birth of Christ, who came to give us the greatest gift of all, the forgiveness of our sin. But it came at a high cost—His death. Christ came to earth as a baby in the shadow of a cross.
Suffering and Christmas. These two words don’t seem to go together in the same sentence. Or do they? Please don’t misunderstand. This is one of my favorite seasons. But this year has been unlike any other. Suffering in the form of Covid-19 unexpectedly interrupted all our lives. This Christmas looks different from any we have celebrated in the past. Many have lost loved ones this year or had other life changes that make Christmas seem surreal or unimportant. We have all suffered in some way because of its unwelcomed arrival, and our lives are far different from what they were this time last year.
It would be wrong to try to sweep our pain away or pretend it isn’t real. Instead, let’s unwrap our grief with our Savior and others who will take the time to listen and share our pain. As we pour out our sorrow, let’s remind each other what Christmas is really about.
Christmas is about the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Why did our Savior choose to leave Heaven to come to earth as a baby? Because it was the only way we can be saved from Hell. You see, Christ was born in the shadow of the cross. He came knowing that He would give His life as a ransom for many. (Matthew 20:28) As prophesied by Isaiah, He was a perfect, spotless lamb,
“He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth.” (Isaiah 53:6-8)
Why would He choose to do this when so many prefer to turn their backs on God. The reason may sound very simple, but He did it for love. What kind of love? Love that was and is willing to suffer.
What did Christ endure for our sake? One of the most heinous deaths you can imagine. The brutality of the cross is beyond my understanding. And the continual rejection of His sacrifice on that cross must cause our Savior great grief.
When did Christ decide He loved us so much that He would leave Heaven and come earth? Was it right before the angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she was carrying the Son of the Most High?
No, the Word of God tells us the plan to redeem us from our sin was in place long before Christ came as a baby. Genesis 3:15 foreshadows Christ’s victory over our enemy, Satan,
“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.”
Christ loved us before the world was created and before sin entered the world through Adam and Eve’s disobedience. John 1: 1-3 tells us,
“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.”
Jesus Christ is the Light, the One who formed the world out of darkness, the One who created the earth and all it contains, all because of unfathomable love.
But how do suffering and love go together? How is enduring pain considered loving? And what does this have to do with Christ’s appearance on earth so long ago, the first Christmas? That first Christmas we were given the most precious gift of all.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:16
Jesus came into the world to save us from our sin, but He wasn’t born into a life of ease and comfort. His mother gave birth to him in a stable, actually a cave carved into a hill. Not a very glamorous setting for the Savior was it. However, His birth did not go unnoticed.
Though His coming wasn’t heralded by crowds of people, the Heavenly Host and a few shabby shepherds were privileged to witness this event. Kings from the East came later bearing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, rejoicing as they worshiped the Child who had been revealed to them as The King of the Jews.
However, soon afterward, Joseph had to take his small family and flee to Egypt because a jealous king, Herod, didn’t want any threats to his throne. Many mothers soon mourned their precious sons’ violent deaths at the hands of the insanely jealous monarch, who killed all boys 2 years old and younger in Bethlehem just to be sure the threat was extinguished. Thus, the prophecy from Jeremiah 31:15 was fulfilled.
“This is what the LORD says: “A voice is heard in Ramah mourning and great weeping, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because her children are no more.”
Great suffering occurred throughout Israel as the nation cried out for a Savior, not knowing He had already come. Several years passed before Jesus began to publicly reveal who He was. When the time was right, He accomplished what He came to earth to do.
How many lives did our Savior touch while He walked on the earth? Untold numbers. He healed so many from their afflictions, never complaining when He was weary, hungry, worn out. Yes, He experienced exhaustion as we do. Where did He turn when fatigue overtook Him? He turned to His Father. He went away to be alone with His Father, seeking comfort, peace, and refuge. He set the example for us. When we are weary and burdened, Christ reminds us that,
“For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Matthew 11:29-30
But how do we have our burdens eased? By receiving Christ as our Savior. By confessing our sinfulness to a Just, Righteous, Holy God and asking for His forgiveness. Then receiving the gracious gift paid for by Jesus Christ on the cross. By acknowledging sin and accepting Christ’s sacrifice for us, we can live with hope.
“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13
When God calls us to suffer in this life, it helps to remember that our Savior, born in the shadow of the cross, knew He was called to suffer for our salvation. He did so willingly and obediently, showing us the extent of the Father’s love for us. Our Savior chose to come to earth, knowing the cross was His destination.
Let’s not make light of our suffering or pretend it isn’t real during this Christmas season. Instead, let’s turn to Jesus, our Savior, who graciously came to earth to bear our sins. However, the story doesn’t end with His death. Jesus defeated death and rose from the grave! Because of Him, those who choose to receive the gift of salvation will live forever in Heaven with Him! Don’t let this Christmas season pass without opening the most beautiful, priceless gift of all. Salvation, the gracious gift that came in the shadow of a cross.