Merry Christmas!

This is the time of year in which we take a step back and remember that Christ came into the world not for His own aggrandizement, but to save our souls from hellfire. He was born in a lowly state, to a poor family. He suffered many of the same hardships that you and I weather today. He was reviled and cast out by His people, and ignored or mocked by others. As an adult, He traveled about the countryside, spreading his Gospel, healing the sick and afflicted, and bringing hope to the hopeless. After only a few short decades on this earth, He was imprisoned, tortured, and murdered in one of the most barbaric and excruciating methods devised by humankind. But His death--though awful beyond comprehension--was not in and of itself unique.

But something unprecedented happened. Dying, He took the burden of every man, woman, and child's sins--past, present, and future--upon His weary shoulders. In unblemished innocence, He became sin for the salvation of a people who were lost without Him. That is the novelty of His passing.

But that's not the end of the story.

The grave could not contain Him. In an event that has shaken the very foundations of the world, God the Father brought Him back to life eternal, to sit by His side in Heaven, thus proving His authority and power over that seemingly unconquerable enemy, death. Jesus assured us in His Gospel that we, too, can attain everlasting life, if we just accept Him as our Savior.

All of this began in a manger, in a stable. As the old saying goes: "Jesus is the reason for the season." Without Him, there is no Christmas. So as we gather with friends and family, share good food, and exchange gifts, let us remember and honor Him. For in His birth, we, too, gained Life.

Mery Christmas, and may God richly bless each and every one of you!