Real Hope: The Meaning of ChristmasSample

Christmas—So It Begins...

For all the chaos and frenzied energy of expectation that ramps up around Christmastime, it represents one of the most profound moments in human history. In our familiarity with the story of Jesus’s birth and His prophesied entry to the world, we can forget just what it meant that He was finally here.

To me, Christmas is when the rubber really hit the road for God. It’s when the plan He’d spoken of for so long finally came to fruition. He’d told prophets of His son, and spoken about this time when God would live among man and bring His kingdom into our reality. Jesus’s birth laid the groundwork for His upcoming death and resurrection, locking in our opportunity for salvation and for knowing our Father God.

Up until that point, God could have uncharacteristically changed His mind. He could’ve decided the cost was too great and worked on a new plan. But He didn’t; He did what He’d always promised He would, and with that, declared to the world with death-defying resonance, "I LOVE YOU." 

How that felt to God is beyond comprehension. But I imagine there was great sorrow coupled with outrageous joy as His faced beamed with the realization that all His kids could come home. I imagine His arms readying to embrace each one, and the warm affection He couldn’t wait to show those who said, "Jesus is Lord."

May you feel His love this Christmas.  

Written by LAURA BENNETT