Advent Refocus

I can’t believe it is almost Christmas already!  Just a few more days to Christmas!  It has come so quickly!  I hope you all are ready for Christmas.  I have to confess that I am not even close.  Don’t have all the presents wrapped, or even bought.  Don’t have anything baked.  I do have a Christmas tree, but it sits in our living room with only lights on it.  Between now and Christmas I have lots of work to do, both at home and at work, not to mention a very active 2-year-old and a husband (nuff said on that one).  J

This is the point of the Christmas Season when I have to sit myself down and remind myself why we celebrate Christmas.  It is about the birth of the Savior.  Yes, all of the other wrappings, decorations, and presents are good, but ultimately, it is about Christ.  If I don’t get those other things done it will all be ok, as long as I remember to celebrate the birth of the long awaited Messiah.  The One who came to save us from the darkness of sin, and gave His life that we might live.

At Christmas, we need to remember that we celebrate Jesus Christ, who was not just some nice teacher, but the only Son of God and Savior of the world.  He also wasn’t just some deity who watches people from far off not really caring about what happens to them, but He is Immanuel, God with us.  The prophet Isaiah tells us that He is indeed God with us, but he goes on to tell us “For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).

It is amazing when you stop to think about what God has done for us in sending Jesus Christ to save us.  Jesus did not just come and die for us and then walk away from us, whipping the dust and dirt from his hands, his work done.  He is so much more than that.  When He died and rose again, that was not the end, His work was not over.  He sits on the right hand of God interceding for us.  He is the Wonderful Counselor who provides help and counsel to us in our times of greatest need (Jer. 29:11).  He is Mighty God with the power to control the universe and everything in it (Prov. 19:21).  He is the Everlasting Father to will be with us always, even to the end of the age (Matt. 28:20).  As Prince of Peace, He is able to bring a peace into our lives and into our world that would be completely impossible without Him (John 14:27).  He is Immanuel, God with us, walking with us, every single day.

I love all of the things that go along with Christmas – the present, the decorations, the baking – but I need to remind myself that it is not about those things.  It is about the most amazing gift we could ever have been given in the birth of a baby who is the Messiah, Savior, Immanuel, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace.  Gloria and Amen!

God bless, Rev. Liz Arakelian, www.LivingHopeEC.org