December 18 (John 1:29)
Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
(ESV)
It is the central
truth of the world. Earth was visited by
One not of this planet, yet this planet was of Him. In fact, Earth is not only of Him; it is
His. And He did not come for
sightseeing. He came to redeem and to
claim. He came to take away the sin of
the world.
If that is not
the focus of our minds and hearts, our calendars and checkbooks, at this time
of year, then we have let department stores and popular media shape our lives
more than God. Incredibly, God will let
that happen. The image of Jesus as a
lamb has a twofold reminder for us. He
is the perfect sacrifice to take away our sin, but He is also humble and
gentle. He will not force the gift of His
love and grace on anyone. It is free to
all, but He will not make us take it.
This week leading
to Christmas will be full…full of last-minute tasks to complete and things to
buy, houses to clean, food to prepare, emails and texts to make travel
arrangements, excitement and anticipation about being with family and
friends. These are the moments to savor
and with which we make the memories that form the beautiful tapestry of our
lives. Yet in our thoughts, our prayers,
and our conversations, we do well to remember that this baby came to die for
us. We owe Him absolutely everything.
Jesus, You are my all and all. You knew me before I was born. You loved me, Your creation, enough to be born a helpless baby and to die for me. Your love has continued my whole life, in moments I could see and in times I could not. May You be honored this Christmas not by my decorations, but by my faithful obedience to You. Amen.
Copyright © 2016 by Steven R. Perkins
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