JESUS BORN FOR YOU
To you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. – Luke 2:11
Merry Christmas! Wherever you are, whoever you see, however you see them, whatever celebrations the day holds, the truth remains: on this day, for you, Jesus Christ our Lord has been born.
The Christmas story tells us all the exciting details – angels, songs, miraculous messages, and a beautiful baby in a bed of hay. But when the angels bring the news of Jesus birth to the terrified shepherds, there’s one little piece that I don’t want you to miss. The word brought by the angel of the Lord to the shepherds says to you. To you is born this day. This is the word, this is the message, and it comes to you, today, right now.
It’s one of the most important details of the distribution of communion. When I give you the bread, I say: this is the body of Christ, given for you. The gift is specific, personal, direct. This is Christ’s very presence, and it is for you. In the same way, an angel declares to the shepherds that the birth of the Savior, the Messiah, the Lord comes directly to them. It’s not for some other person, or for some moment in the unforeseeable future, but a tangible, actual, personal gift from God to God’s beloved people.
You might be celebrating Christmas differently this year, but the truth remains. The gift of Christ who comes is for you. Christ comes to you. In the midst of loneliness, suffering, contentiousness, loss, sickness, and frustration, the truth remains: the gift is for you. Christ is for you. It is real, and it is personal, and it is the true gift no matter the circumstances.
This year, I am so grateful and overwhelmed with joy to say: Merry Christmas, Easter people. Christ comes to you. It is an honor to share that good news with you, now and always.
Let us pray:
Jesus Christ, Son of God, our Savior and Messiah, I rejoice in the gift of your birth. Make its hope and peace a blessing in my life, no matter what this day looks like or what this year has been. I praise you, I give you thanks, and I rest in your many blessings. Amen.