The Heart of Christmas

The streets were crowded last night with Christmas shoppers. As I inched along in the traffic, I smiled inwardly and wondered how many were remembering the heart of Christmas at the moment, or were they just irritated by the long lines?  Making my way home in the darkness, I took note of the decorations - some houses grandly lit by obvious effort of the occupants - and asked myself again - is this the real Christmas?

While I drove along happy music poured from my SiriusXM™ app mixing songs about a Baby in Bethelem with sentimental celebrations of White Christmases, which incidentally we will not enjoy here in Northern New Jersey. I anticipate gathering with friends in the sanctuary to sing the carols and light the candles, but it that the heart of the holy day?  I do love the decorations, the gatherings, and the songs. Even the greeting, “Merry Christmas,” which I exchanged dozens of times throughout the day, makes me happy!

The heart of Christmas is the Gift!  I know you know that, but it bears repeating. We need a reset, a renewal of our hope, lest we allow the fun stuff to hide the great truth that Christians celebrate this time of year. Well, I do anyway, and would guess that you do as well.

This is not generally a ‘Christmas’ text, but here we are told of Who makes the day one of meaning for us. "Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient. We were misled by others and became slaves to many wicked desires and evil pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy. We hated others, and they hated us. But then God our Savior showed us his kindness and love. He saved us, not because of the good things we did, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins and gave us a new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us because of what Jesus Christ our Savior did. He declared us not guilty because of his great kindness. And now we know that we will inherit eternal life." (Titus 3:3-7, NLT)

That sweet Baby Boy, born in Bethlehem, was God come to us, the Divine now Incarnate, that is, becoming fully human. He showed us the face of God and we learn that He does not terrorize, but rather loves. Jesus held out his hands and invited us to return to the Father Who made us, not in fearful trembling, but with an expectation of being received and accepted. He closed the gap that sin and evil had created, offering Himself as the Last Sacrifice, closing the blood-stained altars of the past forever.  

In a text that moves beyond sentiment and declares wonderful truth and mystery we are told that "Our High Priest offered himself to God as one sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down at the place of highest honor at God’s right hand. There he waits until his enemies are humbled as a footstool under his feet. For by that one offering he perfected forever all those whom he is making holy. And the Holy Spirit also testifies that this is so. First he says, “This is the new covenant I will make with my people on that day, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their hearts so they will understand them, and I will write them on their minds so they will obey them.” Then he adds, “I will never again remember their sins and lawless deeds.” Now when sins have been forgiven, there is no need to offer any more sacrifices." (Hebrews 10:12-18, NLT)

Love, the focus of this fourth week of Advent, is the heart of Christmas. Yes, the word is over-worked and over-used but true. God loves me!  God loves you!  Unimagineable change in us is possible when we accept the Gift, by faith. We are made alive eternally. We find hope and purpose. We are transformed by the Spirit, taught to live in the goodness of the Lord, and become agents of grace in the world.

So, with each gift,
let’s remember the Gift of Jesus.

With every light,
let’s remember the Light of the World.

With every card reminding us of the love of others,
let’s remember the  Love of the Savior.

Let me offer a familiar and beloved benediction to close this CoffeeBreak today.
"I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in him.
May your roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love.
And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should,
how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is.

May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it.
Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

Now glory be to God! By his mighty power at work within us,
He is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope.
May he be given glory in the church and in Christ Jesus forever and ever through endless ages. Amen."

(Ephesians 3:17-21, NLT)

(Video of this blog at this link)

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Love Came Down At Christmas

 Love came down at Christmas

Love all lovely love divine

Love was born at Christmas

Star and angels gave the sign

 

Worship we the Godhead

Love incarnate love divine

Worship we our Jesus

But wherewith for sacred sign

 

Love shall be our token

Love be yours and love be mine

Love to God and all men

Love for plea and gift and sign

 

Love for plea and gift and sign

For plea for gift for sign

 

Christina Georgina Rossetti | Gilbert M. Martin

© Words: Public Domain