Joy and Loss

 ~ Christmas Eve ~

From Christmas to the cross

Such joy and such loss.

From the cross to the grave

Jesus died; Jesus saves.

From the grave to the skies

Jesus lives- He is alive.

I penned these words earlier today, as I thought about Jesus’ profound sacrifice – leaving heaven’s glory, stooping to become a baby in a virgin’s womb, and giving His life as a ransom for many. I thought about all the important questions surrounding His birth, and how they were all answered centuries before He came.

Who – God with us. "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel." (Isaiah 7:14)

What- a son. (Isaiah 7:14)

When - "Seventy weeks, (490 years), have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy place." (Daniel 9:24)

Where - "But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little to be among the clans of Judah. From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity." (Micah 5;2)

Why - He shall save His people from their sins. “Yet He Himself bore the sin of many,
And interceded for the transgressors." (Isaiah 53:12)

How - By a virgin birth (Isaiah 7:14)

I am ever so thankful that the Christ of Christmas is also the Christ of the cross. That cross may have slain Him but the grave could not hold Him. Perhaps you think it strange that I would believe in Jesus Christ; that I believe he is God. Mythology would have men becoming gods- instigating a glorious, self-indulgent rescue, only to be repeated again and again, cyclical and without hope. Religion would have men grovelling for the favour of a god they cannot know.

But it is not so with Christ. God became man. He humbled Himself and identified with us to the point of death. I, for one, cannot even imagine a more humbling act of love- selfless, powerful, and sufficient for the forgiveness of sin.

At our Christmas Eve church service, Pastor Pernell spoke about the paradox many of us encounter at Christmas time: the joys of celebrating Jesus’ birth and the poignant sorrows of remembering those who have died. I am grateful for his reminder that we have Jesus, the Light of the world; that we celebrate a constant, a certainty in a world full of change and uncertainty. “In Him was life and the life was the light of men,” (John 1:4).

The words of my little poem also came from a heart that knows loss. This Christmas, I have been thinking of so many of us who know Loss on a first-name basis. We can take heart, my friends. The God of heaven understands our grief. His loss, when Jesus died, was deeper than what we will ever know.  I am comforted by the knowledge that He knows the depth of our sorrow and the breadth of our pain. God knows. God cares. He will comfort, if you ask Him. And for those who come to know Him, there is not only “Christ in you the hope of glory,” for the rest of your days here on earth, there is also heaven waiting to welcome you home.

This God whom I know is worth knowing. This Saviour born is a Saviour worth worshiping. Our children sang this evening, to the tune of: ”O come let us adore Him.”

For he alone is worthy

For he alone is worthy

For he alone is worthy

Christ the Lord.

You can have MY room

It all seems so romantic and rustic and rather idyllic.  Images of a cozy stable, a new-born baby and sheep and shepherds all ‘round about the happy couple welcoming their first-born, Jesus.  

I’m more inclined to think of the young lad who was the innkeeper in a play about the Christmas story.  The practices all went very well and he would shout: “No room!” at Mary and Joseph, and then slam the door of his inn.  However, the night of the actual play, it ended rather differently.  For this little innkeeper, the story became so real that he had a change of heart.  After the shouting and slamming, he opened the door again and with tears in his eyes, he said: “Wait!  Please come back.  You can have MY room.” He got it right!  A King was to be born and he wanted the monarch to have the best place he could offer.  I wonder, this Christmas, is there room in your heart for this Saviour?  

One of my favourite Christmas carols: 

From the Squalor of a Borrowed Stable

From the squalor of a borrowed stable, by the Spirit and a virgin's faith;

To the anguish and the shame of scandal; came the Saviour of the human race.

But the skies were filled with the praise of heaven, shepherds listen as the angels tell

Of the Gift of God come down to man, at the dawning of Immanuel.

King of heaven now the Friend of sinners, humble servant in the Father's hands,

Filled with power and the Holy Spirit, filled with mercy for the broken man.

Yes, He walked my road and He felt my pain; joys and sorrows that I know so well;

Yet His righteous steps give me hope again - I will follow my Immanuel.

Through the kisses of a friend's betrayal, He was lifted on a cruel cross;

He was punished for a world's transgressions, He was suffering to save the lost.

He fights for breath, He fights for me, loosing sinners from the claims of hell;

And with a shout our souls are free - death defeated by Immanuel.

Now He's standing in the place of honour, crowned with glory on the highest throne,

Interceding for His own beloved, ‘til His Father calls to bring them home!

Then the skies will part as the trumpet sounds; hope of heaven or the fear of hell;

But the Bride will run to her Lover's arms, giving glory to Immanuel!

Stuart TownendCopyright © 1999 Thankyou Music (Adm. by CapitolCMGPublishing.com excl. UK & Europe, adm. by Integrity Music, part of the David C Cook family, songs@integritymusic.com

I love David Wesley’s rendition: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYXFU8HugMY

The title is a reminder that God came to earth in a spirit of meekness, gentleness and humility, and yet people are still looking for a great king to rescue them, to pay a ransom for them to be forever free.  Our literature is full of sweeping sagas of great saviours, but do we not know that He has already come, has already paid the greatest ransom of all, by dying on a cross, and then rising again?                                                                                      His name is  Immanuel, “God with us”,(Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23).    

Merry Christmas!   Joyeux Noël!    Feliz Navidad!

Cupped Hands

Mom.

It’s one thing to get a child’s attention, by cupping their face in your hands.  It’s quite another when they cup your face in their hands and say: “I love you.”  Go ahead and feel your heart melting.  The seniors with whom I work understand.  They crave a gentle touch; these people who are well-fed and yet starving for joy and comfort.  “O tidings of comfort and joy,” is their heart’s cry.  A more wondrous Christmas present could not be given, if one was to offer a gentle touch.

You know, it takes time to be gentle.  It takes a spirit of humility to be gentle.  There is a grace found in a spirit of gentleness that you will not find anywhere else.  We’ve known it, when someone loves us well, and we can rejoice in the qualitative touch of a gentle spirit.  It is a great sadness, when we have left gentleness in the dust of our too-busy lives; anxiously reaching for the next empty apparition of more, more, more.

But we are not left without an example, nor are we left without any help.  If anyone exuded gentleness, it would have been Jesus; filled to overflowing with the fruit of the Spirit. No wonder the people flocked to him; no wonder he carries the titles of Good Shepherd, (John 10:11); Great Shepherd, (Hebrews 13:20); and Chief Shepherd,(1 Peter 5:4).  It does seem a paradox, though, that Jesus was ushered into the world at the proclamation of lowly shepherds.  But isn’t that the way?  I mean, don’t we recognize true strength of character in meekness and gentleness?  I marvel at God’s seemingly “upside-down” way of looking at the world.  

Pastor Pernell’s message about leaving vengeance to God is so fitting, as he spoke about using a spirit of kindness and gentleness to respond to those who have hurt us deeply; to those upon whom we would rather wreak havoc and vengeance.  By responding with gentleness, we may well lead the very perpetrator to repentance and faith. 

Meek is might, if we can take any lessons from Moses, the meekest man in all the earth, and from Jesus Himself, who was “…gentle and riding on a donkey.” (Matthew 21:4).  A gentle answer turns away wrath, says Proverbs 15:1, and this same meek and gentle Jesus answers to the righteous wrath of God, by holding our faces in His nail-scarred hands, and whispering to us in words loud and clear: “I love you.  I died for you.  I rose from the dead for you.  I live for you.  There is nothing too hard for me.”  Jesus' words, in Matthew 11:29:

“Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart;

and you shall find rest for your souls.”

We may get a lot accomplished in this life, on our hurry-scurry treadmills.  We might even get even with someone for hurting us.  But the pile of ashes at our feet, at the end of the day, will be all that is left; unless this fruit of the Spirit, gentleness, has been evident.  This Christmas, may gentleness be my hallmark, bringing tidings of comfort and joy.  I can start by taking my mother’s face into my cupped hands and saying:  “I love you.”  At 92 years of age, there may not be much time left for me to do this.  A daily dose would be a good thing, bringing rest to my soul and to hers.  Today was a good day to start a new tradition.  My Mom’s response: “And I love you.”