Good morning…
Before the first Christmas morn, Jesus thrived in the wholeness of heaven. Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see—such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together (Colossians 1:15-17, NLT).
When the moment was right, God’s infinite power was poured into the skin of a vulnerable babe and Christ humbled himself, becoming human. For a child has been born—for us! the gift of a son—for us! He’ll take over the running of the world. His names will be: Amazing Counselor, Strong God, Eternal Father, Prince of Wholeness. His ruling authority will grow, and there’ll be no limits to the wholeness he brings (Isaiah 9:6-7a, MSG).
On earth Jesus experienced with full force the pains and the temptations, the joys and the sorrows of a lifetime. Just like you. Just like me. The servant grew up before God—a scrawny seedling, a scrubby plant in a parched field. There was nothing attractive about him, nothing to cause us to take a second look. He was looked down on and passed over, a man who suffered, who knew pain firsthand…But the fact is, it was our pains he carried— our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us. We thought he brought it on himself, that God was punishing him for his own failures. But it was our sins that did that to him, that ripped and tore and crushed him—our sins! He took the punishment, and that made us whole (Isaiah 53:2-5, MSG).
Graciously freed into oneness with the Father, Son, and Spirit, we are now empowered to grow into wholeness throughout our lifetime. No prolonged infancies among us, please…God wants us to grow up, to know the whole truth and tell it in love—like Christ in everything. We take our lead from Christ, who is the source of everything we do. He keeps us in step with each other. His very breath and blood flow through us, nourishing us so that we will grow up healthy in God, robust in love (Ephesians 4:14-16, MSG).
Preparing for Christmas 2018, we lift our eyes off the controlling checklist, the cramped calendar, and the chaotic comparison to prayerfully ponder four profound questions.
- What is the whole truth of Jesus Christ?
- During this season, with whom and in what ways am I living the truth of Christ in love?
- Is Christ the source of everything I do? If not, where am I resisting Christ’s lead? If so, how am I keeping in step with the needs of others?
- With Christ’s very breath and blood flowing through me, how am I witnessing myself becoming more whole, growing up healthy in God, robust in love?
There are no limits to the wholeness expanding through this fully-God, fully-human baby Jesus. No limits to the wholeness growing and flowing in and through us. No limits to the wholeness healing our hurting world. All of creation is held together by our invisible God through the powerful Spirit of this vulnerable, visible Son of God.
…Sue…
