Merry Christmas!

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
John 1:15 (NIV)

Merry Christmas! Today is the day—the day we have been planning for, shopping for, cooking for…Christmas is finally here! It no longer matters what did or did not get crossed off our to-do lists. Whether or not the coconut cake is beautiful or the rolls burnt, whether the presents are beautifully wrapped or still have their store tags, take a moment to step back and remember why we celebrate Christmas. Today, we celebrate the birth of the King.

The world had been longing for a Savior, for the One who would set everything right. After Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, the world had been waiting for redemption. God’s perfect design had been tarnished, but thanks be to God, He had a plan to send our Savior from the very beginning. Jesus, the Messiah, the Promised One, had come!

John tells us that Jesus was with God from the very beginning. The story of Jesus doesn’t begin at Christmas, because He has always been, and He always will be. Nothing has ever been or ever will be that has not come from His hand. He was with God at the creation of the world, He was with God when Adam and Eve sinned, and He will be with God when we are taken to our forever home.

So, whether or not your dreams for the perfect Christmas day come true, you can rest in the knowledge that Jesus is even now setting all the wrong things right. If Christmas reminds you of broken relationships, disease and death, or the general effects of mankind’s sin (overtired, over-sugared, ungrateful children, maybe?), you can still celebrate with hope, knowing that Jesus came to be Lord over all of this.

Jesus is the light in the darkness. So today, as the presents are unwrapped, the tree destroyed, the ham eaten, and the toys assembled, take a moment to thank God for sending His perfect Son as the gift the world really needs. Jesus came to be a light in our darkness. He came to shine light into a sinful, messy world. He came to bring hope and healing.

Joy to the world! The Lord has come! Merry Christmas to you and yours. Savor the good gifts that God has given us through Jesus. Enjoy His presence more than the presents under the tree. Shine His light into your corner of the world. A Savior has indeed come to us.