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No place for gloom
There is no place for gloom at Christmas. Amidst all the hustle and bustle, tinsel and traveling, heartache and joy, one thing needs to be seen - the manger.
In 1 John 3:8, there’s a hidden Christmas verse:
“The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.”
Merry Christmas to everyone except the devil.
Amidst all the shopping, traveling, eating, wrapping, parenting, worrying, family conflict, increasing debt, marriage frustrations, lights, decorations, football, Elf re-watchings, caroling, parades, social media scrolling, traffic, coffee, egg nog, and Maria Carey listens, there’s still one thing to be seen – the manger.
It’s profound how a glimpse at the manger brings quiet and dispels gloom.
The manger scene needs to be re-seen.
This Christmas, may I humbly remind us that there is simply no place for gloom.
Not even in confronting our sinfulness. For we were dead, but now through Jesus, we are made alive. [1] “[God] …even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved…” (Ephesians 2:5 ) We were perishing and now more than conquerors. [2]“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” (Romans 8:37 ) Struck down but not destroyed. [3]“…persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed…” (2 Corinthians 4:9) Even when facing death, our mourning becomes morning because we know that our Son has risen.
If we are anything this Christmas, we must not be gloomy. A glimpse at the manger will remind that God had (and has!) a plan. A baby announced God’s intentions to forgive, to redeem, to bring hope, to invite us home.
“For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor, a lifetime. Weeping may stay overnight, but there is joy in the morning.” (Psalms 30:5)
If anyone should be gloomy at Christmas, it’s the devil. He lost. We win.
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References
| ↑1 | “[God] …even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved…” (Ephesians 2:5 |
|---|---|
| ↑2 | “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” (Romans 8:37 |
| ↑3 | “…persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed…” (2 Corinthians 4:9) |
Great Reminder Jeff! Thanks for the positive encouragement. In a psychology class at Chabot Junior College in the 70’s, the professor said he served on a suicide hot-line and the absolute busiest time of the year for them was the Christmas holidays. People torture themselves with the past and what could have been, but fail to rejoice in the future eternal hope Jesus brings. The effects sin and brokenness are real, but so are the promises of God. THANKS! Keep up the good word!
Thanks for pointing that out/reminding us. John Piper wrote a book called “Future Grace,” and the title is enough sometimes to remind me of what you mentioned – “rejoices in the future eternal hope Jesus brings.” Such is the beauty and difficulty of faith. Often, I’m like the father in scripture who cried out to Jesus, “I do believe! Help my unbelief.”
This is a difficult message for those struggling with seasonal affective disorder on Christmas.
I’m sure it is. Battling depression needs spiritual resources and perspectives. I believe the manger is a wonderful place to begin to lay your mind at rest.
Certainly meditating on it should be part of a multi-pronged approach. The crush of expectations of the modern approach to celebrating Christmas is burden we all should leave behind.
Modern approaches to a lot of things leave us wanting, for sure. I am assuming by the “modern approach” you mean the glitz, pressure, and commercialism. Meditating on sublime truth can be more than therapeutic. It has inherent power to transform and heal. Besides Luke 2, I see Christmas in 1 John 4:9-10: “God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his one and only Son into the world so that we might live through him. Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the… Read more »
Yes, the glitz, the overindulgence in food and drink, the overruling of stuff that never fills our hearts with real and lasting joy. I have been opting out of this more and more each year. The opening of John’s gospel is sublime and my favorite. The light shines in the darkness….the darkness cannot over come the Light. Blessings of the season to you, Jeff.
Thanks, Jo! I appreciate your perspective, attitude and hopefulness in Christ. In my sermon this past Sunday, I quoted from “A Hobbit, A Wardrobe and the Great War” (excellent book) this passage that gave me a bigger perspective of the manger miracle: [When Aslan returns to life] This is the.. “Deep Magic that was put into the world by the Emperor-beyond the Sea; that when a willing victim, free of guilt, exchanges his life for that of a traitor, then ‘Death itself would start working backwards.’ The crowning moment of Grace occurs in The Last Battle, as King Tirian, the… Read more »
[…] “The crush of expectations of the modern approach to celebrating Christmas is burden we all should leave behind… the glitz, the overindulgence in food and drink, the overruling of stuff that never fills our hearts with real and lasting joy.” [1]No place for gloom […]