An Unexpected Story: Christmas

     I enjoy stories. I like, reading them writing them, and hearing them from others. Nowadays many stories, whether they be movies or books, have become predictable. However, there is one story in the history of the world that had a plot twist so unexpected that no one saw it coming: the story of Christmas.

   Many times, stories this unexpected are untrue. But not only is the Christmas story true, it is the beginning of the most important story in history. Think about it: if you were God, which you are not but hypothetically, how would you save those you created?

   Maybe you would come down and declare yourself ruler over all that way you could fix human's mistakes. Or you could come down with the sword of justice and destroy all who oppressed your people. You could have just left them alone to figure out on their own how to save themselves. After all, they did betray you and choose to sin. Perhaps you could just end them all and start again? Would that be the answer?

   Whatever you think you would do if you were in God's shoes, I am pretty sure you would not have done what God did. He sent his Son to become one of us. Jesus went through everything we went through. He chose not to sin. He followed his father's word. And he showed us his father's love. Then, he chose to die on the cross for us. He became the perfect sacrifice so we could spend eternity with him.

   See, if God would have come down and declared himself ruler, we would not have free will and thus there would be no love. If God would have come down to destroy those who oppressed his people, then he would have killed those he loved. And only the Israelites, who also did not always follow God, would be alive today. If God would have left us alone, we would be dead and have no hope. And, obviously, if God would have ended us all then it would have broken his heart because he loves us.

   That's what the Christmas and Easter stories are about: love. God sent his son in a unique way to save us because he loves us. Anyone else may have tried to fix the world through force which is not love. And God is love. 

   So, this Christmas I encourage you to think about the Christmas story. Think about how special it is. Think about how God sent his son FOR YOU. He did it because he loves you. He wants to be with you forever and he gave up his Son so he could be with you. It is an unexpected and amazing story, isn't it?