The Light Of The World

I am the light of the world. I am joy everlasting! Like the bright Eastern star, I appeared before mankind as the guide to where redemption is found.

And so humbly I came, just a babe in a manger. However, My birth could not have been more significant, for on that day eternal hope was born unto man, held within a wee infant. Yet, who would have thought such a modest crib could ever boast of such nobility, and been given this high honor of being the birthplace of the Messiah, the One who was sent to save the whole world?

A trough of hay and stubble was where I first lay My head, swaddled in the Father’s love, for the very heart of God above pulsated in My tiny chest, beating in time with His perfect will. What was prophesied long ago knew its fulfillment in the midst of ignoble creatures, as these lowly beasts were witnesses to the greatest miracle ever known to mankind.

And so without distinction I was born, for none that stumbled upon this pastoral scene would have thought much of the occasion. Nothing about My introduction to humanity spoke of the deity I carried, or the future crown I would wear. But those who were “sent” knew I was no ordinary child, for God himself had dispatched messengers to proclaim “Christ the King is here!”, the One who would birth the joy of salvation in the souls of mankind, even those overwhelmed with sorrow and despair.

Let this season when My birth is celebrated be a time of reflection as your thoughts settle in upon the real blessing found in Christmas. While the giving of gifts was meant to be a symbolic gesture of what the world received when I was born, sadly, this act has become the focal point of the whole holiday. And although many have a small rendition of My first coming displayed upon their mantels or under their trees, yet because the busyness of the hour has captured their attention, most have missed this small reminder that I am the One and only gift they will ever need.

So while generosity is always encouraged, let your giving this year carry a deeper meaning, where each gift you bestow upon another is given with thankful hearts towards the Father in Heaven: the One who sent Me to pay for your redemption: the One whose very life was born to be sacrificed so that you might live.