CHRISTMAS REVEALS THE HEART OF GOD

Christmas is as much about the Manger, as it is about the Cross. Manger speaks about God’s commitment for the plan of redemption. While the Cross speaks about His love and compassion for the lost humanity – the reason for the plan of redemption to be out into action. *Christmas speaks so richly about God, His heart, His love, His care, and His concern for the people, who are not only in every sense of the word, wicked and evil, but are actually His enemies, because of our choice to side with the devil.* This is seen in what the human heart hides within itself.
– “The [human] heart’s deceit and wickedness are advanced enough that even the individual may not know or understand their own heart, and outsiders have even more difficulty in discerning the heart of others.” – David Guzik

Let us look at what the written Word of God has to say about our hearts – the human heart.
– “5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” – Genesis 6:5
– “9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” – Jeremiah 17:9

In contrast, let us see the heart of God, and His love for the fallen man.
– “15 “Can a woman forget her nursing child, And not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, Yet I will not forget you. 16 See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your walls are continually before Me.” – Isaiah 49:15-16
– “22 Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.” – Lamentations 3:22-23

The love that God has for us, is the love that compelled God to come down into this world, to be our Saviour. The LORD willingly chose to offer Himself as the sacrifice, so that He could save us. There was no other way for us to be saved. Rather, this way the only way for our redemption, and God our Creator promptly put it into action. By His suffering and death, we have gained our redemption, and the life eternal. 
– “16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” – John 3:16

What we celebrate as Christmas this morning, has come to us because, the LORD chose to pay the price for our redemption, with His own life. His body was crushed, and His blood was shed, so that our sins could be washed clean, once and for all. 

Now the question that we ought to be asking ourselves as Christians, is this – What can I give to the LORD who gave His life for me? What should be the limit to what I should give to God my Redeemer? Not as in a transactional sense, but out of a deep sense of gratitude, for all what we have mercifully received from the LORD. Can we offer our lives as a living sacrifice for His glory, and for the work of God’s kingdom? Would we be willing to use our time, our talents, our money, our resources and all what we got, so that God would be glorified, and His kingdom be benefitted? This is the least we can do. This is most certainly what we ought to be doing. Even so, the LORD help us.