Santa and the Savior

[The following devotional is a part of our 2014 Advent Devotional Guide.  We will be posting a devotional each day on this blog between November 30 – December 31, 2014.]

Santa and the Savior by Mark Robinson

Read: John 1:16

For my money, the most remarkable thing about Santa Claus is not his generosity, or his production capability, or his mode of transportation, or his appearance, or his schedule.  What amazes me most about Santa is that he would actually come and visit me.  He would take my requests, come to my house, slide down my chimney, eat my cookies, drink my milk, and give me presents.  That is what is most amazing to me about Santa Claus.  In my mind’s eye, I can imagine someone so generous.  I can imagine someone so inventive.  But I cannot imagine THAT SOMEONE caring about me.

Now, switch from Santa to the Savior.  For a moment, think about the historical account of Jesus, the Son of God coming into the world.  What is it about this story that you find most amazing?  For some of you, maybe you marvel at the humility it takes for God to take on the limitations of a human body.  For others of you, maybe you are astounded that this same God would be born into a barn, instead of a castle.  Still, for others, maybe you are awestruck by the fact that the Son of God would be born into a human family.

For my money, though, the most awesome thing about the birth of Jesus Christ is that He was born because He cared about me.  He understood my separation from God because of my sin, so He came to my planet, lived my kind of life, endured my kind of temptation, felt my kind of pain, and died in my place, to give me the unbelievable yet believable gift of eternal life!  That is what stops me in my tracks as I ponder the Christmas holiday.

In my mind’s eye, I can imagine a God so generous.  I can imagine a God so gracious.  I can imagine a God so good.  But I am awe struck that this God would apply those truths to specific sinful people . . . including me.  Some have taken this truth, processed it through their “adult” minds of intellect and reason and concluded that such a Jesus cannot exist . . . however, the facts do not bear this out.  Jesus is real.  He is alive.  He was born into this world, and He died to rescue us out of it!  This Christmas as you ponder the awesome events of the baby in the manger, remind yourself of this fact . . . He came for you.

Questions:

• What part of the Christmas story do you find most amazing?

• Have you ever stopped to consider that Jesus was born to give YOU grace upon grace (John 1:16)?

Advent Prayer:

• Thank God that He is aware of your circumstance and situation.  God sent Jesus so that He might have a relationship with you.