Happenings 17 December 2020

What is the biggest problem people have at Christmas time? You might think it’s finding a car park or having to brave Auckland traffic to secure that last elusive gift. Or possibly getting the Christmas Day trifle just right for the Christmas Day lunch? Actually, the Bible says the biggest problem people have at Christmas is the biggest problem people have at every other time of the year. The fact that people are separated from their loving Creator by sin. It’s a problem that doesn’t get too much airtime these days, but it trumps climate change, covid and nuclear escalation. But at Christmas we get a glimpse into God's plan for dealing with this greatest of problems – the eternal God born as a human child. The writer of Hebrews marvels at this, saying, 'Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. (Heb 2:14–15.) At Christmas, we don't just celebrate God's greatest gift to us; we also celebrate his ultimate solution to our ultimate problem. So, just for a moment, mentally gather up all the stress, all the anxiety, all the obstacles facing you in this hectic time of year ... and weigh them against the biggest problem to ever have faced the human race - being cut off from the Source of Life. They really do pale in comparison. And if God can conquer the biggest of problems, then he is able to help us with all lesser problems also. Let Christmas remind us all that in Emmanuel, God is not only with us; he is for us.

In Him,
Murray