New Morning Mercies #360

Jesus was despised and rejected in the here and now so that you would have the Father’s love and acceptance forever.

The words you are about to read should be included in every celebration of Christmas. They express the glorious result of the coming of the Christ child to earth. He experienced the manger, the flight to Egypt, the daily suffering of hunger and homelessness, the rejection of the religious authorities, the disloyalty of the disciples, the unjust trial, the cruel death, and the tomb so that you would have what these words express. He came and endured all these things for you and me so that we would have forever what we never could have earned, deserved, or achieved on our own:

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;

we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom. 8:31–39)

Sit in front of your Christmas tree and read these words out loud to your loved ones so that you all will remember what the Christmas story is all about. Remember that Jesus willingly endured constant rejection and life-ending injustice so that you and I would experience the unalterable, unshakable, undefeatable love of God forever. Remember that he readily went unloved so that we would know constant love. Remember that he deserved to be loved, but was rejected so that we who deserve to be rejected would be eternally loved. Remember that he was willing to subject himself to the fickle and failing love of his followers so that we would know the faithful and unfailing love of the Father. Remember that he endured separation so that nothing could ever separate us from the Father’s love.

As you remember these things, remember this: if God was willing to give up his Son so that we would know his love, doesn’t it make sense that he will also with him give us everything else that we need? The promise of the Christmas story is unshakable love and every need met. Now, that’s worth celebrating!

For further study and encouragement: John 10:1–18