December 18, 2022 - INSCRIPTIONS FROM THE HEART

By Doug Bennyson

Remembering Jesus

Christmas is a good time to remember the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. In the pomp and the glamor of the season it's very easy to forget who it's truly about. 

If you are part of our church, you would've seen the decorations on the side of the stage. It's the classic scene of the manger with baby Jesus in the cradle and Joseph and Mary next to him. This would have been a very special night. A night like this deserved an audience. It deserved a parade. It deserved a celebration to magnanimous proportion. Though it was a big deal in the heavens and angels came to sing for Him it was only recognized by few people – the wise men and the shepherds.  

We live in a world that is adapting to things at an incredible pace. Everything looks eye catching. There is so much content on our phones and in our lives it's easy to lose focus on what we are searching for. I try to look on my phone aiming to focus on one thing and try to accomplish it. Instead, there are so many notifications on my phone that demand my attention and draw me away from what I initially wanted to achieve.  

I realize today how much I have missed to focus on this season – how much I forgot about the beauty of the message of Christmas. And it's in the simple statement. "Jesus came down and bore flesh so that He can be one among us and die for our sins." This is the Son of God who set aside His glory for humanity because He did not want to lose us. It's a sacrifice no mind can fathom. When you and I were thinking about our present satisfaction, God thought about our eternal damnation.  

2 Corinthians 5:21 goes on to say, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” Jesus came to this world to bear our sin on Himself. He took on all the punishment you and I deserved so that our relationship with God can be restored.  

Many of us did not even deserve this. Maybe we don’t even acknowledge it at times. Let's look back to Jesus this season. Let's say the words, “Thank you God for sending your one and only son, down to this earth. You have deemed my life worthy of such a sacrifice.” 

Without Jesus the season or this life is but vanity.