Peace and restoration...

Not gifts. Not traditions. Not lights, trees, Santa, or wreaths. Not even family or heartwarming acts of kindness. While all good things, and expected of all of us, they are not the reason that the holiday season is celebrated. Me may have put too much emphasis on these things, but we should reflect on what happened in a small Jewish village over 2000 years ago. A child was born to a Jewish carpenter and his new wife, although the circumstances around it were not ideal. You see, Joseph was a man of upstanding character and had a lot to lose. His promised wife had, surely to the people around them, unexpectedly and suspiciously became pregnant. Despite sure pressure from others, he trusted his wife and the Lord with the news he was given. They were chosen to be the earthly parents of the God-child. They were chosen to raise Jesus. Can you imagine? The responsibility of rearing the human form of God Almighty. Now we all know the story. The shepherds, the star, wise men, and angry king, a stable, and so on. It is the centerpiece of what we call Christmas. But even if we stop and remember this story this weekend, and don't capture the entire essence of what happened, what a tragedy that would be. Yes, we remember the fact that he became flesh and bone. We reflect on the fact that he was born in terrible conditions, and humbled Himself to be delivered in a barn. We even look ahead to Calvary, and the mission of His life, to die on the cross for our sins. But it is so much more than that. I am not saying that anything I have said is not good news, but I am saying that we sometimes get caught up with the details, and miss the overall mission of what actually happened in Bethlehem. God the Father, sent his Son, Jesus Christ, as an anthropomorphic representation of Himself to, yes, save us, but on a grander scale, to bring peace and restored hope for creation. This is a major theological handicap if we miss this. God didn't just want to save us from eternal damnation. While this is a definite plus, He more importantly wanted to restore us and our relationship to Him. He sent Christ into the world to save humanity, to bring peace, to restore His creation by conquering our sin for us. Before Jesus Christ, God was sovereign, but not personal. Intercessory, sacrifices, temples, and rigid laws separated the hearts of man from the Holy of Holies. God desired the fellowship with man, but could not compromise His holy and righteous character to do so without the law and priests. This is why we celebrate the Christ. We celebrate to hope we have in Him. We celebrate to peace we find in His propitiation. We celebrate the restoration of our relationship with the Holy Creator provided by His birth, His life, His death, and His resurrection. This is why Christmas services are so special. This is why we celebrate. This is why we give up our valuable time this season. This is why my family is attending the Christmas Eve service at Hickory Grove tomorrow night. He wants to bring us peace, and He wants to restore us to Him. May He bring peace into your heart this Christmas, and may you accept the greatest gift ever given...restoration in Him.    -Trey