Jesus

 

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

For unto us a child is born, unto to us a Savior is given.. Isaiah 9:6a

 

Due to starting a 365 day devotional at an odd time of year, I am now reading messages about Christmas, as I am simultaneously living out some Lenten disciplines. At first I found it a bit odd but then I realized how truly perfect it is.

          Lent focuses us on the saddest, most difficult part of the story. Of course there is the perfectly beautiful happy ending but for these days we are walking through the suffering, sacrificing part, the bleakness. No fun! Here I am putting it beside the images of Baby Jesus, long awaited Savior, just now a little bundle of cooing joy. Odd? Sure but as I said, also perfect because it’s the whole story.

          Jesus came to us to save us from ourselves. As we walk through Lent we think about all that it entails. Yes, Jesus was God but he was also fully man, a very young man, who suffered, without arguing, for sins we’ve committed. It’s very easy to point fingers at the crowd yelling “Crucify him” and at the ones doing the beating and pounding in the nails. Truly, though, those are our voices, our hands, every single time we sin. This is the story I love to avoid. I’m all for reading the after story, the Resurrection part, but I feel myself slowing down as I approach that section of each of the gospels that talks about the torture. It’s just awful!

          It is awful but Jesus did it all. He didn’t shy away or run and he could have done just that. It was always his choice. (John 10:17-18). When that sweet baby was born, he was destined for the Cross and he knew it.

          Reading about Christmas as I walk through Lent, is helping me to see the whole picture, not to just focus on one half, if you will. The suffering and subsequent joy begin with the joy of the birth. The suffering is sandwiched in between two wonderful, amazing events full of love and beauty. Seeing it this way is giving me a greater perspective on life in general. Think of the times that suffering turns into something beautiful. The pain of a woman in labor becomes a baby. Hard work and long hours become a great accomplishment. Horrible medical treatments become a longer, healthier life. Painful braces become an even more beautiful smile. (That one is for my sweet daughter-in-love, Stephanie.)

          Best of all, the awful, cruel, agonizing, difficult simply to read, let alone endure, suffering of our Savior on a Cross, is the fulfillment of the promise of the Babe in the manger. It is the promise of salvation, freedom and eternal life.

          As you walk through this Lent, maybe you could read a few verses about our Savior’s birth. Side by side, it’s all pretty powerful.