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“So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn’t hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn’t gladly and freely do for us? And who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God’s chosen? Who would dare even to point a finger? The One who died for us—who was raised to life for us!—is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ’s love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture…None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I’m absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.” – Romans 8:31-39 (MSG).
Merry Christmas from the Northstar family. We rejoice with you as we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. This Christmas, remind yourself and your family that hope is only found in how much Jesus has loved you. It will be tempting to look for hope in the gifts that you receive or in the gifts that you give, or in the people that you celebrate Christmas with. Still, those gifts will get old, your generosity will wrestle with your selfishness, and the people who say they love you will find a way to disappoint you once again. The real hope you have this Christmas is in the perfect love God has for you.
Christmas is a time to marvel in awe and gratitude at the lengths God has gone to show us His love and save us. The Creator came to His creation. The infinite God became an infant son. The God of the universe, who is present everywhere, did not have a room to be born. The Son of God left His throne in heaven, surrounded by the unceasing praise of angels, to come to earth where He would ultimately receive a crown of thorns and hear crowds shouting, “Crucify him!”
The Romans 8 passage reminds us what the Christmas story is all about by defining the glorious result of the birth of Jesus. That glorious result is summarized in the word love. Jesus came to earth in a humble and lowly way. Coming to earth as an infant allowed His life to be more accurately, historically proven, and documented. Secondly, He better understood our human lives–how fragile and weak the flesh truly is. Jesus deserved to be loved, but he was rejected so that we, who deserve to be rejected, would be eternally loved by the Father. During His life, He dealt with His followers’ fickle and failing love so that we will know the faithful and unfailing love of the Father. He experienced separation from the Father so that nothing could separate us from His love.
On this Christmas Day, remember the King of kings and the Lord of lords.