9. "For God so loved the world"
Christmas is so widely celebrated in today's world, both secularly and religiously, that we often forget that the central concept of the Christmas season is an extremely radical one. During Christmas, we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ--the Son of God. In order to truly understand Christmas, it is necessary to first understand the condescension of God, or the idea that Heavenly Father would send His only begotten Son, the creator of the universe and the god of the Old Testament, the Great Jehovah, to live as a mortal human being with an imperfect body, subject to temptations. When you lay it all out, it is hard to believe that the greatest being of all would descend so low as to submit to a mortal life, let alone be born in a stable and live for three years as a homeless preacher whom people mocked, spat upon, and despised. Why would he do it? John 3:16 gives the answer:
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
God, our Eternal Father, condescended to give us His Son because He loves us. But Christ had a choice in the matter as well. And he chose to do the will of the Father, even during the most agonizing moments of his mortal ministry. In the Garden of Gethsemane, he cried out, "Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done" (Luke 22:42). He loved his Father, and so he was willing to do all the was asked of him. But I don't think Christ could've endured the suffering and ostracism of his mortal ministry, let alone the anguish of the Atonement, without also having a great love for us. For Christ so loved the world, that he gave himself.
Christmas is so widely celebrated in today's world, both secularly and religiously, that we often forget that the central concept of the Christmas season is an extremely radical one. During Christmas, we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ--the Son of God. In order to truly understand Christmas, it is necessary to first understand the condescension of God, or the idea that Heavenly Father would send His only begotten Son, the creator of the universe and the god of the Old Testament, the Great Jehovah, to live as a mortal human being with an imperfect body, subject to temptations. When you lay it all out, it is hard to believe that the greatest being of all would descend so low as to submit to a mortal life, let alone be born in a stable and live for three years as a homeless preacher whom people mocked, spat upon, and despised. Why would he do it? John 3:16 gives the answer:
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
God, our Eternal Father, condescended to give us His Son because He loves us. But Christ had a choice in the matter as well. And he chose to do the will of the Father, even during the most agonizing moments of his mortal ministry. In the Garden of Gethsemane, he cried out, "Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done" (Luke 22:42). He loved his Father, and so he was willing to do all the was asked of him. But I don't think Christ could've endured the suffering and ostracism of his mortal ministry, let alone the anguish of the Atonement, without also having a great love for us. For Christ so loved the world, that he gave himself.
10. The Living Christ
As part of my scripture study this Christmas season, I have been memorizing The Living Christ. The Living Christ is a document written by the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles as a testimony of Jesus Christ 2000 years after his birth. It testifies of his life, his death, his Atonement, and his resurrection. It testifies of his divine role and of our divine potential. As I have been studying it these last few weeks, I have been particularly touched by two key aspects of this testimony.
The first is: "We solemnly testify that His life, which is central to all human history, neither began in Bethlehem nor concluded on Calvary. He was the Firstborn of the Father, the Only Begotten Son in the flesh, the Redeemer of the world."
Those words have often repeated themselves in my mind during this Christmas season as I have reflected on the birth of the Savior. Although we celebrate his birth because it was a necessary precursor to his ministry and Atonement, it has been important for me to think about Christ's eternal role. Who was he before this life? Why was this life necessary for him? Who is he today, and what is his role in my life? "He was the Great Jehovah of the Old Testament, the Messiah of the New." And today, he is my Savior and Redeemer, and he makes it possible for me to fulfill my own eternal destiny.
The second is: "He is the great King Immanuel, who stands today on the right hand of His Father. He is the light, the life, and the hope of the world. His way is the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come. God be thanked for the matchless gift of His divine Son."
These last, powerful words in the Apostles' testimony have also stuck with me throughout the Christmas season. I have thought about them often as I have tried to truly understand the significance of Christmas this year. Christmas is not about gift giving or beautiful lights or even just a birth that took place more than 2000 years ago. It is about understanding God's plan for His children, and recognizing Christ's critical role within that plan. As I've come to realize that more over the last few weeks, I, too, feel like proclaiming, "God be thanked for the matchless gift of His divine Son"!
You can read the entire The Living Christ document below:
As part of my scripture study this Christmas season, I have been memorizing The Living Christ. The Living Christ is a document written by the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles as a testimony of Jesus Christ 2000 years after his birth. It testifies of his life, his death, his Atonement, and his resurrection. It testifies of his divine role and of our divine potential. As I have been studying it these last few weeks, I have been particularly touched by two key aspects of this testimony.
The first is: "We solemnly testify that His life, which is central to all human history, neither began in Bethlehem nor concluded on Calvary. He was the Firstborn of the Father, the Only Begotten Son in the flesh, the Redeemer of the world."
Those words have often repeated themselves in my mind during this Christmas season as I have reflected on the birth of the Savior. Although we celebrate his birth because it was a necessary precursor to his ministry and Atonement, it has been important for me to think about Christ's eternal role. Who was he before this life? Why was this life necessary for him? Who is he today, and what is his role in my life? "He was the Great Jehovah of the Old Testament, the Messiah of the New." And today, he is my Savior and Redeemer, and he makes it possible for me to fulfill my own eternal destiny.
The second is: "He is the great King Immanuel, who stands today on the right hand of His Father. He is the light, the life, and the hope of the world. His way is the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come. God be thanked for the matchless gift of His divine Son."
These last, powerful words in the Apostles' testimony have also stuck with me throughout the Christmas season. I have thought about them often as I have tried to truly understand the significance of Christmas this year. Christmas is not about gift giving or beautiful lights or even just a birth that took place more than 2000 years ago. It is about understanding God's plan for His children, and recognizing Christ's critical role within that plan. As I've come to realize that more over the last few weeks, I, too, feel like proclaiming, "God be thanked for the matchless gift of His divine Son"!
You can read the entire The Living Christ document below:
11. He is the Gift (#ShareTheGift)
On November 28, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released this video, titled "He is the Gift", to remind everyone of the significance of the Christmas season. Just as I mentioned in the 9th and 10th thoughts in this series, this video focuses on the fact that Christ was given as a gift and a sacrifice to and for all of us. It wasn't done carelessly, but with infinite and perfect love and understanding. I hope that in some small way, these blog posts have helped to share the gift of Jesus Christ this Christmas season.
On November 28, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released this video, titled "He is the Gift", to remind everyone of the significance of the Christmas season. Just as I mentioned in the 9th and 10th thoughts in this series, this video focuses on the fact that Christ was given as a gift and a sacrifice to and for all of us. It wasn't done carelessly, but with infinite and perfect love and understanding. I hope that in some small way, these blog posts have helped to share the gift of Jesus Christ this Christmas season.
12. I believe in Christ
As this series of thoughts on Christmas comes to a close, I want to make it clear that my intent was not to declare myself as a scriptural scholar nor to make any bold statements about how profound my interpretation of the Christmas story is. I was inspired by some kind friends to share a few of the thoughts that I had during my study of the Nativity and the role of Christ over the past few weeks. And, in the end, the whole purpose was to strengthen my own testimony. I share my thoughts here so that I can remind myself that I do believe in Christ, in his life and his death, in his Atonement and his roles as Savior, God, and Father of my own spiritual rebirth. My hope is that some of these thoughts were helpful, or at least interesting, to a few of you.
I have a testimony of Jesus Christ. I believe that he came to Earth as an infant, born of a virgin in a stable in Bethlehem. I believe that he grew from grace to grace until the time that he was prepared to begin his mortal ministry. During that time, he set the ultimate example for our lives as well as taught the truths of eternity. I believe that he suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane so that I would not have to pay the full price for my own sins. He was crucified to complete his Atonement, and then rose from the grave three days later as the resurrected and living Lord. He lives. Today, and always. The Christmas season specifically celebrates his birth, but the more I study that critical event, the more I realize that Christmas is about Christ as a whole, not just one event in his life. I'm so grateful for the Christmas season, for the scriptures, and for my Savior.
Merry Christmas, everyone!
As this series of thoughts on Christmas comes to a close, I want to make it clear that my intent was not to declare myself as a scriptural scholar nor to make any bold statements about how profound my interpretation of the Christmas story is. I was inspired by some kind friends to share a few of the thoughts that I had during my study of the Nativity and the role of Christ over the past few weeks. And, in the end, the whole purpose was to strengthen my own testimony. I share my thoughts here so that I can remind myself that I do believe in Christ, in his life and his death, in his Atonement and his roles as Savior, God, and Father of my own spiritual rebirth. My hope is that some of these thoughts were helpful, or at least interesting, to a few of you.
I have a testimony of Jesus Christ. I believe that he came to Earth as an infant, born of a virgin in a stable in Bethlehem. I believe that he grew from grace to grace until the time that he was prepared to begin his mortal ministry. During that time, he set the ultimate example for our lives as well as taught the truths of eternity. I believe that he suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane so that I would not have to pay the full price for my own sins. He was crucified to complete his Atonement, and then rose from the grave three days later as the resurrected and living Lord. He lives. Today, and always. The Christmas season specifically celebrates his birth, but the more I study that critical event, the more I realize that Christmas is about Christ as a whole, not just one event in his life. I'm so grateful for the Christmas season, for the scriptures, and for my Savior.
Merry Christmas, everyone!