Hi everyone. Rob here.
Welcome to the last blog post of the year and thanks for joining us this year as we journeyed together in caring for the new hearts given to us in Christ.
How beautiful is it, that when God decided to deal with his people, he entered into our humanity. We were made with the divine image in each one of us, but when the divine came he came to us a human. He did it to show us what God was like but also, to show us what we were meant to be like. A guy called Stanley Grenz says that Jesus came as the true human – what we were meant to be like, and the new human – what we will be like. He was the only person who has ever lived without a sin-damaged heart. The image of God remained pure in him. And he came to give us his humanity; his heart; his intimacy with the Father; his life in the Spirit; his joy, his peace and his life. This is the wonder and beauty of Christmas – that “the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us (1 John 1:14):” That “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son (John 3:16):” That he was made like his brothers and sisters in every way (see Hebrews 2:17).
The story of Christmas is that God came to us because in our sin and sickness we couldn’t get to him. He came as one of us so that he could be with us, suffer for us and triumph on our behalf. He now lives with us. The Father and Son have made their home in us through the Spirit. This Christmas let’s take the time to gaze in wonder at the Christ-child, born in absolute weakness and vulnerability to a teenage mum in a room made for animals. Like the Magi, may we see him as our king and pledge our allegiance to him and his kingdom. May we find ourselves worshipping the God who would go to such lengths to rescue us, redeem us, reconcile us and restore us.
Pay attention to your kingdom heart this Christmas and this summer. Your heart that longs for peace, for intimacy, for beauty and for joy. It is Jesus prompting you to remember him and to put all your hope and faith and trust in him. He is good. He has come. He has said Yes, to his people, yes to our humanity. Our Saviour who made himself so vulnerable, has revealed himself as our King, our one and true hope for the shalom of the world. As the carol says:
Silent night, Holy night
Son of God, love’s pure light
Radiant beams from thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord at thy birth
Jesus, Lord at thy birth.
Silent night, Holy night
Shepherds quake, at the sight
Glories stream from heaven above
Heavenly, hosts sing Hallelujah.
Christ the Savior is born,
Christ my Savior, your Savior, the world’s savior is born.
Grace and peace everyone and Merry Christmas.
Brand New Heart Ministries 