Christmas = JESUS > us

The time has finally arrived! Christmas! My favorite time of the year! I know all of us are excited to catch a break from school & work, and to have some time to spend with our friends & family. Don't forget all the great food, Christmas traditions, and BOWL SEASON. Truly the most wonderful time of the year!

But, most importantly, Christmas is the time to celebrate the birth of our Lord & Savior, Jesus Christ. And to not only celebrate His birth, but to celebrate His death. To know that God sent His one & only Son, Jesus, for one purpose - to die. Jesus was literally born to die. He was born with a purpose, a mission, and a plan. And that was to die on the cross for our sins, take our place, and give us freedom & forgiveness through His death. And through His death & resurrection, Jesus cancels our sin & gives us eternal life.

AND just like Jesus was born to die, when we are reborn through His salvation, we are ALSO born to die. We have new life in Jesus, and when we are reborn, we are born to die. Born to die to our sins & old life, and to turn away from the way we used to live. And just like Jesus was born with a mission & plan, we also have a direct purpose in our new life.

Jesus gives us all a purpose in His call to "Follow Me." To follow Jesus is to live like Jesus, and to live like Jesus is to die. A daily death in picking up our cross, denying ourselves, denying our sin & what we want, and becoming more like Christ.

This is what Christmas should be all about, and we must daily think about our purpose given to us.
Christmas = JESUS > us

JV