Intro: It is always wonderful to hear the Christmas story being read; God’s Son of love coming down from heaven to save us produces awe and amazement in our souls. How does one contemplate or even mentally process such a sacrificial love Gift for all of creation? God humbled himself to save us, because we could not do anything to save ourselves! The Helper came for the helplessly lost. Our hope, peace, and joy all come together in this Christmas love Gift from God. There is no greater love (John 15:13).
Even as believers we can get fixated on the human expressions of Christmas, as well as our “feelings” and responses to our human celebrations, but to stop there is extremely superficial and worldly. Christmas is about the purpose of God to love and save a selfish and sinful world (John 3:16). Our celebrations should be all about receiving the salvation Gift of God’s Son and making room for him in our hearts, relationships, communities, nations, and his world.
In our passage today, the writer of Hebrews wants us to understand the Gift of Christ is given to those who choose to be made holy. Christmas begins with the birth of Christ in human hearts, but God’s Story continues. Christ keeps working in hearts and through human lives until every enemy of the Truth humbly bows to his holiness. If we will take this Truth to heart, it will forever inwardly change us and we will—like the angels, shepherds, Joseph, Mary, and the wisemen, begin to live with passion the Christmas Story–become hearts filled with Christ!
Hebrews 10:10-18 (TPT)
10 For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time.
11 Under the old covenant, the priest stands and ministers before the altar day after day, offering the same sacrifices again and again, which can never take away sins. 12 But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 13 There he waits until his enemies are humbled and made a footstool under his feet. 14 For by that one offering he forever made perfect those who are being made holy.
15 And the Holy Spirit also testifies that this is so. For he says,
16
“This is the new covenant I will make
with my people on that day, says the Lord:
I will put my laws in their hearts,
and I will write them on their minds.”
17 Then he says,
“I will never again remember
their sins and lawless deeds.”
18 And when sins have been forgiven, there is no need to offer any more sacrifices.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for being my Christmas Gift every day. For all that you are and have done for me, may my life be an offering back to you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.