Tuesday 8 December 2015

Hope is on the way 10: The mystery of Christmas






Tia picked up Rebekah nearly forgot to do so, as Tia was so keen so go to the chapel this morning. Luckily she remembered otherwise Rebekah would be very upset indeed. Rebekah picked up Lawrence they talked about how to make a Christmas cake.

Elizabeth started the book club with “And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. (Luke 2:6-7 KJV)”

Rebekah had a question. “Christmas is full of mystery. Does it?

Elizabeth said “Christmas is the best of things and the worst of things. It is the holiday that we love to look forward to, and it’s the holiday so many people don’t want to see arrive. Christmas is a day of charity, and a day of tremendous greed. We love to get cards in the mail, but we’re often not all that excited to write, address, stamp and send them. We love to get gifts, but we hate to find them and purchase them, especially if it’s for that guy who seems to have just about everything, or if we have to wait in the long lines. We love the season and all the lights, yet we aren’t all that excited about going outside and putting lights up in the freezing cold weather, and to top it all off, the decorations keep coming out earlier and earlier each year.”

Tia said “We can’t wait for Christmas to get here, and we can’t wait for it to be over for another year.”

Elizabeth replied back to Tia saying “It’s a holy day on the Christian calendar, but it has become the most secular holiday of fake sentimentality.”

Lawrence said “Yes, Christmas is a day of mystery and extremes in other ways as well.”
Elizabeth carried on what Lawrence was saying, “Here we see God’s gracious gift in the Babe of Bethlehem, and Scripture tells us that He was born into the world to save sinners. Our Lord’s incarnation was for all people. Jesus was not born in a palace, but in a stable. The Creator of Heaven and earth who rules over all things took upon Himself poverty, and all it means to be human. The One who spoke the world into existence had to rely on His mother Mary to change His diapers. On Christmas, the Son of God certainly could have demanded the glory due Him, but instead He took on dirt and pain and humility. As a result, He knows what you are going through this season of Christmas.”

Rebekah said “Instead of the perfumes of kings, the Christ endured the smells of the barn. There He was wrapped in swaddling clothes and not in kingly royal robes."

Elizabeth said “The mystery we find in the manger still happens among us today as Jesus continues to save sinners from their sins, and yet there are few who see it or believe it.This Jesus born in a manger is the One who saves us from ourselves, from our false values, and false religions. He was born to save us from our sins that would eternally separate us from the Father; our greed, our sinful values, our false religions and hopes, and all our sins against both God and neighbour”.
Rebekah said “The Christmas mystery is that He didn’t have to do it.”

Elizabeth carried on what Rebekah said “Certainly, God would have been just in turning His back on us sinful people. He would have been fully just to condemn you and me for our many acts of rebellion against His Commandments, but in Jesus He has turned to us His kindly face. Through this babe of Bethlehem, He would do all the work of our salvation and He would save His people from their sins.
Lawrence said to Elizabeth “But isn’t it sad, that while God did all of this in Christ for us, that still there are some who try and rob the Lord of His glory?"

Elizabeth said “Today we are bid by the Father to repent of our sins, and to glory in the ultimate mystery of Christmas: God became man. Because of Jesus who was born in a manger and who lived a perfect life before going to the cross to pay for your every sin, yours is the ultimate joy.”

No comments:

Post a Comment