Joy to the World

What a wonderful holiday which reminds us of one of the most important events in history: the birth of Christ. I heard a man speaking on the subway yesterday that reminded me what Christmas is all about and why Christ's birth was important. In a nutshell, it was a neccesary step towards his death and suffering. Most importantly his birth, life and death paved the way for his universally conquering death and sin. That's what the man on the subway was talking about (though a bit too loudly, it almost drowned out the message). He was a self-proclaimed crackhead for 7 years, who said he would do anything for his next hit, including steal from his own mother. He somehow caught a glimpse of his own potential and was able to change his life so that he has been clean for many years, and he gives the credit to Jesus Christ. Could he have transformed his life if Christ hadn't been born? Perhaps, but what would have been the motivation? Where would he have drawn hope? How could he possibly face anything but punishment at the judgement day? He related it well, that he was so humbled and grateful that his mom was able to take him back and forgive him of everything; she was thrilled to have her son back. That's how Christ feels towards us, and since he has already borne the penalty for our sins, we can be forgiven and overcome. That's why I love this picture, it's a depiction of him coming out of the tomb. It's as if He's saying to me, "See Dave, I conquered and overcame everything and I'm inviting you to do the same. It'll be hard, but you can toss your unwanted baggage in this empty tomb and I'll help you overcome." As a missionary, I helped people with drug, alcohol and tobacco additions, inmates, people suffering from sadness, loneliness, depression, fear, anxiety, abuse and every other kind of difficulty, overcome these troubles because of their faith and the hope they drew from the life of Jesus Christ (often with professional help of course). That's why the angels rejoiced at his coming, because they knew the impact his life would have on the world. This is what Christmas means to me.