Merry Christmas….from one small town to another!
Apart from the poetic inklings of popular Christmas carols, we do not know exactly what size a town Bethlehem was the night Jesus was born. We do get the distinct impression that it was not a large place. (This is reinforced by the fact we read very little about Bethlehem outside of Scripture, despite its rich history.) Quite likely, it was a small town.
But when you think about it, when you are the Creator God of a limitless universe….aren’t all towns small? From Beijing to Basile, from New York to Eunice, from Rio to Mamou, they are all tiny spots on the wall map of the cosmos.
But God came there.
From the beginning of time, people have gone to great lengths in an effort to ensure that when they die they will go to heaven. But long ago, Jesus did the unthinkable. He left heaven so He could come and die!
And God comes here.
It is our smallness, coupled with God’s greatness that stands at the heart of the wonder of Christmas. It is incredible to consider that on this Christmas Day, God is aware of your life. Even as you read this newspaper, you are in His heart. Unseen by the masses, you are known by the Master.
The angel informed Mary that her child would be known as Immanuel, that is “God with us”. God could no longer be considered far off, a distant figure from history, an unrelatable force. God had come to the small places and moved in.
This Christmas, through Jesus Christ may you experience God’s nearness, may you celebrate His coming and may you be transformed by His presence.
Because God is still here!
Apart from the poetic inklings of popular Christmas carols, we do not know exactly what size a town Bethlehem was the night Jesus was born. We do get the distinct impression that it was not a large place. (This is reinforced by the fact we read very little about Bethlehem outside of Scripture, despite its rich history.) Quite likely, it was a small town.
But when you think about it, when you are the Creator God of a limitless universe….aren’t all towns small? From Beijing to Basile, from New York to Eunice, from Rio to Mamou, they are all tiny spots on the wall map of the cosmos.
But God came there.
From the beginning of time, people have gone to great lengths in an effort to ensure that when they die they will go to heaven. But long ago, Jesus did the unthinkable. He left heaven so He could come and die!
And God comes here.
It is our smallness, coupled with God’s greatness that stands at the heart of the wonder of Christmas. It is incredible to consider that on this Christmas Day, God is aware of your life. Even as you read this newspaper, you are in His heart. Unseen by the masses, you are known by the Master.
The angel informed Mary that her child would be known as Immanuel, that is “God with us”. God could no longer be considered far off, a distant figure from history, an unrelatable force. God had come to the small places and moved in.
This Christmas, through Jesus Christ may you experience God’s nearness, may you celebrate His coming and may you be transformed by His presence.
Because God is still here!
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