Jesus Changes Everything

 

Year after year, Christmas after Christmas, I find myself imagining the first Christmas. I always wonder what the characters went through emotionally and physically. Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, the wise men, the innkeeper, and so many who were involved in the birth of Christ.

 It is always amazing to me that everything seemed to be arranged - the tax by Caesar Augustus that caused Mary & Joseph return to Bethlehem, the innkeeper who had one stable available. When everything seemed to be going wrong, it was actually right on track for the Messiah’s birth. 

The Savior who entered the world and changed everything about our lives. Mary was an ordinary teenager. Joseph was a humble carpenter. The shepherds were hard working and poor, who were some of the first to meet our Savior. The wise men from the east, who had searched so long and followed the bright star that lead them all the way. God used the ordinary to fulfill his extraordinary plan.  

Chip Ingram once said, "God specializes in using ordinary people to do extraordinary things." The ordinary things of life that we do consistently are often the things that God will use to prepare us for His special purpose for us. We can see this through the lives of many who have gone before us. When Jesus invaded each one of their lives, the transformation they experienced could not be denied.

The wonderful thing about that is Jesus is still making that change today. When a sinner experiences true salvation, they are completely transformed. Families are restored, addictions are erased, and lives are filled with purpose. Jesus brought hope to the world. He is the hope that we live for as Christians. Knowing Christ brings contentment and satisfaction to our hearts despite our current circumstances. When you encounter Christ, it is impossible to be the same. 

John 10:10 says, “I have come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” 

Following Jesus will shape your perspective on how you view the world. He will also give an appetite for the things of God and His Word. Reading God's Word is how He will speak to us. He is the reason that Christians can experience joy within the pain and peace in the midst of adversity. Hardships are often how God stirs us out of our "comfort zone" in order to stretch us spiritually.

Jesus also brought love to the world. An unconditional love that reaches to the sinner and

extends to the saint. Jesus left Heaven to come to the Earth as a baby. He would then die on

the cross to pay the price for his beloved children who had gone astray. He sacrificed His life so that we could serve Him. He is the reason that we celebrate Christmas.

This Christmas, I want to challenge you to remember the meaning of Christmas and that Jesus changes everything.