Saturday, December 25: Luke 22- sing, weep, sing.

Merry Christmas…

The jubilant songs of the angels has morphed into the taunts and insults of the soldiers. Jesus’ torturous march to Calvary has begun.

My heart sings and weeps and sings again as I play and replay the life of Jesus in my head. At Christmas my gaze is almost exclusively on the manger and the entrance of God’s son into our world to redeem and save us. Angelic choirs announce the occasion.  Wonder and awe fill the ‘air.’ My house is decorated with smiling snowmen and angel tapestries. As one holiday song goes, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year…”

And yet today’s reading reminds me that manger and birth are only half the story. Jesus came to give His life to redeem those who believe. For me, on this Christmas day, the reading of Jesus’ last hours before Calvary fills in the entire story.

Honestly, my breath is short and my eyes filled tears.  This is how much God loves me! This is how much God loves the world. This is how much God loves you.Jesus came and died for you and for me, to pay a price we could never have paid and to give us a right standing before God we could never have earned!

I can’t stop the newsreel of Jesus’ story in my head. Calvary is not how the story ends. Three days later the stone is rolled away. “He is not here. He has risen!” the angels declare.

Yes, my heart sings and weeps and sings again as I play and replay the life of Jesus in my head.

All to Jesus I surrender;

      all to him I freely give;

      I will ever love and trust him,

      in his presence daily live.

 

      I surrender all, I surrender all,

      all to thee, my blessed Savior,

      I surrender all.

Amen.

 

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