Dear Osmond Community, Christmas! What will be under the tree? A surprise? As a child, at the age where 10 minutes seems like an hour, the suspense and waiting are almost unbearable!
One of my most shameful childhood memories of the Christmas season is when I decided I could not wait. Instead of learning patience, I found where my parents had stored the gifts, I carefully lifted off the tape, slid the gift out from the wrappings (just enough to see what it was), slid it back together and secured it, then pretended to be excited when the gift was opened.
It was terrible! Because I selfishly rushed it, the joy of the gift was darkened by my sinfulness. That is the problem with sin, it may seem like something we want, but it only destroys.
Thankfully, God has an answer for our sin. Christmas, the birth of our Lord, was the real “reason for the season,” to redeem us from our sin.
The Christ has finally arrived in the world to shine His light and righteousness into the hearts of men.
This is the true gift of Christmas.
Ever since the Fall of Adam, God has promised this. Lost in our sin, God saw our fallen state and promised to do something about it, promising I will put enmity between you (Satan) and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel. (Gen. 3:15) And now the remembrance of His first coming has arrived, and yet it is amazing how un-amazed we are of what the gift of Christmas truly was!
This gift of this newborn child, Jesus, is God in the flesh, Who has come to crush the head of the evil one!
Amazingly, the creator of the universe, who spoke all things into existence, who creates and sustains all of life, should love us enough to take the form of His created! A baby formed in the womb of Virgin Mary!
Then, even more amazing, is that He would grow to be a man like us (only without sin), to take our deserved pun ishment for our sin upon the cross on His undeserving body (defeating sin, death and the devil), rise again on the third day, ascend into heaven (never to die again), and send the Holy Spirit to His bride the Holy Church (where He said He would be when we gather in His Name), to continually come and proclaim His Word in Truth and purity, and deliver His Sacraments rightly, in order to make you His own?
Well, there is no fitting of a word, than that is amazing!!! And not to sound like an infomercial; But wait!
He also promises to return on the Last Day to raise all from the grave, restore all creation to true joy, where there will be no sin, no guilt, no pain, no sadness, no evil. Come O Come Emmanuel!
Therefore, to receive the fullness of His eternal gift of His second coming, gather in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (especially on Christmas Day), because there He promises to come and give you His eternal gifts that He has earned on the cross until His return in glory forgiveness, life, righteousness, everlasting life in Peace, and the strength of Faith to endure, patiently, to the Last Day.
A Blessed and Merry Christmas to you all!
(Rev. Terry Makelin, Trinity Lutheran Church, Foster Golgotha Lutheran Church, Wausa)
