Grace Notes – Gracious Shadow
Good Morning Beautiful Friend,
I’ve changed up our devotional this morning. The dreaded Covid bug has hit our family again, and it’s been a rough few days. As we are shifting our expectations of Christmas this year, I’m reminded again of what the first Christmas looked like.
I sent this devotional out 2 years ago after Covid invaded our lives and impacted the whole world. We’ve all learned to live with a new “normal,” and yet it’s still difficult to readjust when the unexpected happens.
I pray each of you will take time to ponder the amazing gift that our Heavenly Father gave us that cold Christmas morning over two thousand years ago. Remember to rejoice in the gift of your salvation in Christ Jesus – the reason we celebrate this season.
May He lighten your burdens and may the grace of your salvation bring peace and joy to your hearts.
In His Grace and Love,
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 sins. But it came at a high cost—His death. So 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. However, suffering can unexpectedly interrupt life. I have dear friends enduring the pain of poor health and others grieving the death of loved ones. Our world seems chaotic as wars, financial strain, and other unexpected traumas enter everyday life. We have all suffered somehow in the past year, and our lives may differ from what we expected.
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 about.
Christmas is about the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Why did our Savior leave Heaven to come to earth as a baby? Because it was the only way we could 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 to 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 sins 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 states,
“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 and 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?
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:16
Jesus came into the world to save us from sin, but He wasn’t born into a life of ease and comfort. His mother gave birth to him in a stable, 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. As a result, 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 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 publically reveal who He was. Finally, 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 many from their afflictions, never complaining when He was weary, hungry, and 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. We can live with hope by acknowledging sin and accepting Christ’s sacrifice for us.
“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. 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. So, don’t let this Christmas season pass without remembering the most beautiful, priceless gift. Salvation, the gracious gift that came in the shadow of a cross. Rejoice – for the Savior has come!