The countdown begins: 5 days until Christmas!
When I was younger, Christmas was all about how many presents I had under the tree or being able to eat all the yummy foods after Christmas service or even trying to give Santa the perfect cookies so that he would give me the best gifts. Every year was the same. We
would buy a tree and decorate our whole house, inside and out. Then, we would go to church where we would sing the same traditional Christmas songs, which I knew by heart after singing so many times.
When I was younger, Christmas was all about how many presents I had under the tree or being able to eat all the yummy foods after Christmas service or even trying to give Santa the perfect cookies so that he would give me the best gifts. Every year was the same. We
would buy a tree and decorate our whole house, inside and out. Then, we would go to church where we would sing the same traditional Christmas songs, which I knew by heart after singing so many times.
However, doing all of that made me blind to what Christmas is actually about. It's not about the baked goods, or singing, or decorating. It's not even about presents! WHAT? Not about the presents?! Well, yes. It's not about the presents. But have no fear! Christmas is really all about just one present. A present that we can get every year, every month, every week, and every day. An unlimited present! That present is Jesus.
Imagine if you did something wrong like break your ITouch and you really didn't want your parents to know. Instead, your friend, who didn't break the ITouch, went to your parents and told them that he or she had actually broken the ITouch. Your parents became very angry at your friend and punished him/her instead. Your friend received the
punishment for something they didn't do, and you received no punishment for the wrong that you did.
That's what Jesus did for us! We sinned against God, and we did wrong things. But Jesus, our friend, comes
and tells God the Father that He did it. He was punished, and we received no punishment. That is the best present we could ever receive! No punishment from God who can punish us with all the power in the world. And because Jesus is still alive, we are forgiven every single year, month, week, and day for all of the sins that we commit. We never have to worry about receiving punishment from God. That's how great of a present Jesus was to us.
So during this Christmas season, enjoy the presents and cookies and music, but don't forget the best present that you will ever receive: Jesus taking the punishment so that we don't have to.
Until next time, watch this cute Christmas story video on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=kWq60oyrHVQ
Imagine if you did something wrong like break your ITouch and you really didn't want your parents to know. Instead, your friend, who didn't break the ITouch, went to your parents and told them that he or she had actually broken the ITouch. Your parents became very angry at your friend and punished him/her instead. Your friend received the
punishment for something they didn't do, and you received no punishment for the wrong that you did.
That's what Jesus did for us! We sinned against God, and we did wrong things. But Jesus, our friend, comes
and tells God the Father that He did it. He was punished, and we received no punishment. That is the best present we could ever receive! No punishment from God who can punish us with all the power in the world. And because Jesus is still alive, we are forgiven every single year, month, week, and day for all of the sins that we commit. We never have to worry about receiving punishment from God. That's how great of a present Jesus was to us.
So during this Christmas season, enjoy the presents and cookies and music, but don't forget the best present that you will ever receive: Jesus taking the punishment so that we don't have to.
Until next time, watch this cute Christmas story video on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=kWq60oyrHVQ
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