The God Who Came Down to Earth to Die

The God Who Came Down to Earth to Die

As the world gets ready to once again celebrate the birth of the Christ-child, I think about his death. Christmas lights and trees and bells ringing around the little red buckets at Wall-Mart all bringing in this season of giving and taking, of buying and selling.

Certainly this is a time for joy and "peace on earth" and I would not say as I once preached in a sermon 30 years ago, "Let's take Christ out of X-Mas". And yet at the same time this truly does seem to be such an artificial time of year--including our little tree in the living room--or certainly it can be viewed that way. And I really do appreciate the well meaning people who try to remind me of "the true meaning of Christmas".

I do have wonderful memories as a child sitting around the tree with Mom and my brother Bill and my sisters Betty and Debi as our Dad read us the "Christmas Story" from the Book of Luke from our family Bible.

This same book interestingly does not mention, ask, command or hint at the yearly Celebration of the birth of baby Jesus. It's very interesting to me that Jesus doesn't ask us to remember his birth--and if you know me I love birthdays, especially my own. Jesus surprisingly (or maybe not so surprisingly) asks us to celebrate and remember his death.

Even the origin of the word "Christmas" seems to come from our Catholic friends who celebrate Christ's MASS. The early disciples didn't like Jesus talking about his death and all but a few women and one "disciple whom Jesus loved" deserted him as he hung and died on that old rugged Roman cross. One of his last requests to them at their "last supper" together, was not to remember how he came into the world. Jesus passionately asked them to remember his death as they took the bread and wine.

Now as I think back to that 30 year old sermon telling my listeners to "Take Christ out of X-Mas", I now feel very strongly and "Passion-ately" about the "X" which is much closer to the shape of the instrument of capital punishment upon which Jesus died. I would now like to ask you to think about putting the "cross" back into Christmas. Jesus said it was for this reason he came to this earth, to die, to be buried and to be raised again. The early disciples didn't believe it until Jesus showed up three days after his death. And my guess is we don't believe it either until we allow Jesus to show up in our lives.

God came down to this earth to die so that you and I might live. This amazing grace, it seems to me, is the real meaning of Christmas.

"Merry Christmas" to you all or may I say very thankfully "Merry X-Mas".

Don McPherson