Distractions. This blog and Christmas break so far have been far less than productive. Right after my last post final review week hit, immediately followed by exam week, then moving back home and then catching up with old friends then nintendo did me in. It's Christmas Eve and all I can say that I've done this break is do nothing. One could argue that that's exactly what I needed to do after the semester I just had, so I'll argue that as well. But now it's Jesus's birthday and with the one positive thing I've participated in, the Bible study of Romans 8 with Jeremy Free, i think I'm actually in the Christmas spirit for the first time in my life for closer the right reason.
The way we're conditioned by the traditions associated with this holiday, I'm historically in a very self-centered mood christmas morning, on the inside really only concerned about what I'm getting. This year is different for probably 2 reasons:
1) I didn't really ask for much for myself. Just a few things to make my life easier: a dremel tool, a new more powerful wireless router, and Mark Twain's newly released autobiography.
2) The Bible study has clarified how amazing this observance is. Although the date we celebrate on is probably inaccurate, the event is so perfect, only God could've planned it. First, He conceives His perfect will, and figures the only way for humanity to have a chance at being with Him is for Himself(Jesus) to become human and take his own wrath for humanity. But that's the HUGE picture so lets zoom in a bit.
Over 100 years beforehand, Isaiah made plenty of prophecies about Jesus's birth in his book. God conceives a virgin, makes the Roman empire run a census so that right when the virgin gives birth, she's in the town of David, while he casts a supernova or a comet to signify to the magi(by whatever they believed) that a king was being born. That enough is mind blowing, but then sending his choir of angels to the lowest people on the spiritual caste system that was first century Judaism, he was really making a statement.
Then I don't think people realize how bloody this story is. Herod ordered the murder of hundreds of children between the age of 0-1 years once the magi arrived to find Jesus later on. God made sure by earthly governing bodies that Jesus was in the right place at the right time all through his birth and ministry to carry out his plan. And in looking at that, its comforting to know how much creative control God can have over our lives as children of God. (Romans 8:11-17)
Basically, God is unfathomably amazing and the fact that He, in his unmeasurable greatness, became flesh in a truly pitiful and helpless human baby so that one day he could bear the sins of the world letting all of us who believe to be with him in heaven someday, is the greatest gift of all with no embellishment. No lie. It really is. And that's why we give gifts to each other today. Just remember that as you celebrate.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESUS!!!
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