“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” (John 3:17, ESV)
Yes, it is Christmas week! We know that Jesus was almost certainly not born at this time of the year, but we can and we must remind ourselves of his miraculous virgin birth and why he came to earth.
Christmas 2020 will likely look different for most of us. Are you excited? Are you able to be with family and friends? Are you sad or possibly even depressed? Are you lonely? Are you ready for the isolation and restrictions to be over? Perhaps you are even at the point where you fear death. Our circumstances often dictate our mood and this time of year can bring a variety of emotions. I see this, and you probably do too, at the clubs where we play golf. People look at Christmas and the days leading up to it in many different ways.
This has been a year filled with loss and death for me. Just like many of you, I have lost family members and several close friends. This will be “the first Christmas without _____” for me and for many reading this devotional. I saw death take a father-in-law and a brother-in-law this year. One of my very good friends died from COVID-19 the day before Thanksgiving.
That particular friend lived in Tennessee and was one of the finest Christian men I have ever known. He was only 62. We communicated via email on November 13; he was a little tired but all seemed well. Then a slow slide, then a crash, and then death. His body simply just shut down.
In the midst of loss and pain and even physical death, how can we make Christmas week about Christ?Physical death comes to us all. When I heard of my friend’s passing, I was heartbroken, I cried, I was very sad for his wife and family. But somehow, deep in my soul I was excited for him. He was face-to-face with his Savior. WOW! My heart was filled with joy!
In the midst of loss and pain and even physical death, how can we make Christmas week about Christ? I suggest we look to Scripture and remember why Jesus was born in the first place. Jesus came to die so that, as he promised, “everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die” (John 11:26). Thankfully, my family members and most of my friends who died this year believed Jesus’ words and knew him as their personal Lord and Savior.
None of us is promised another Christmas week. Jesus calls us to share the Good News with others. You and I will most certainly have opportunities to do just that this Christmas. Are you ready in this Christmas season for your own death? If so, please join me in proclaiming the words of the prophet Isaiah: “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation” (Isaiah 12:2).
My prayer today is that you and those around you will rejoice this Christmas as you remember the coming of the one who came to die. Jesus Christ is indeed the promised Messiah. He came, he died, and he has risen! Hallelujah!
—
Marty Jacobus
December 21, 2020
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The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.
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