Unknown's avatar Rev. David J. Schreffler 4:44 am on December 12, 2016  

12 Days Until My Head Explodes, Or Devotions to Prepare Us For Christ’s Coming

December 12, 2016 – 12 Days Until My Head Explodes, Or
Devotions to Prepare Us For Christ’s Coming

“Moses lifted up the snake in the desert. It is the same with the Son of Man. He must be lifted up too. Then everyone who believes in him can have eternal life.” Yes, God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him would not be lost but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world. He did not send him to judge the world guilty, but to save the world through him.”          John 3:14-17

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This poor guy sure looks beat down, doesn’t he? I am not so sure what has happened, but he has lost an eye, has bruises all over, and looks like he is bandaged into a papoose. And once again, if this is all you have to hang on your Christmas tree, well maybe you want to skip putting up a tree this year.

Charlie Brown and Linus are walking down the sidewalk and Linus asks Charlie, “Have you heard of the ‘Beat Generation’ Charlie Brown?” Charlie replies, “Oh, Yes.” And Charlie continues, “I’m a charter member.” John 3:16 and 17 reminds us that although we might also feel like the world is beating us down, we have a G-d who loves us so much that G-d felt humanity was worth doing something completely unique – G-d became like us to save us from ourselves. And he was lifted up on a cross so that, in seeing and believing, we have been given the gift of life – life eternal.

Yes, the world may still beat us down. Yes, we will still struggle just as much as we succeed – and we will still experience pain. And while the Advent and Christmas seasons give us reason to experience the joy of these seasons, the struggling and the pain will persist long after Christmas has passed us by. But nothing can separate us from the love of G-d that comes through the cross of Jesus. G-d became human through Jesus Christ so that we can see that we have a G-d who suffers when we suffer, so that when we feel like life has beat us down, we remember that G-d lifts us up to new life – not just for a few months, but for eternity.

Pastor Dave