MORNING MANNA 12-22-22
COMPLETE CHRISTMAS
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God”. – John 3:16-18
Jesus did not just randomly appear in Bethlehem at a generic moment in time. His arrival was the culmination of a plan that dated back to before the creation of the world. The exact time and place of His birth, along with a number of other details of what He would do during His life were written down and recorded hundreds or even thousands of years earlier. The plan was already in place, and it was perfect. Corrie ten Boom said, “Who can add to Christmas? The perfect motive is that God so loved the world. The perfect gift is that He gave His only Son. The only requirement is to believe in Him. The reward of faith is that you shall have everlasting life.”
We celebrate love when we celebrate Christmas. We exchange gifts with those who are special to us as an expression of how we feel about them. God gave His Son because of how He felt about the world. It’s important for us to understand that love is not just something God does; it is a vital and integral part of His nature and character—it is who He truly is. John wrote, “And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him” (1 John 4:16). The birth of Jesus was the expression of God’s love in a powerful and tangible way and the value of the gift communicates the great scope of God’s love for us. God’s love should be active and present in our lives and the way we treat others, just as His love is in His treatment of us.( Daily in the Word)
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
Humble, Tx.
