All of us have a Christmas List. One of the things that changes as you get older is your Christmas List. When I was a child, my Christmas List was very short. There was only one name on it – mine! I was the one person I did not want to be forgotten at Christmas.
Then my List began to change. One of the first things that changed was that my name came completely off the List. I put down all the people I wanted to buy things for. This went on for many years. But now as I approach my 80th year, my Christmas List is reduced to a few people who get cash, a gift card, a book to read or a Christmas card.
The reason that we have Christmas and the reason there is a Christmas is because God had a Christmas List before the world began. There is a verse in the Bible that tells us about God’s Christmas List and who is on it: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
There are 25 words in this verse. The 13th word is “Son” which refers to Jesus. The first half of the verse is all about God. The last 12 words are all about us. I know you are probably dying to know whether or not you are on God’s Christmas List, so let’s see who made it. “For God so loved the world”…. Now if you are in the world, you made the List, because God’s List includes everybody. God never made a person that God didn’t love.
St. John tells us that God IS love. The reason you are alive, the reason your heart is beating, the reason your lungs are breathing right now is because God loves you. God made you in order to love you. This is real love! God doesn’t love you because you are good. God doesn’t love you because you deserve it. God doesn’t love you because you love Him back. God sent Jesus to be born, to live and to die for you.
God loves the world and that means it is not a national love. God loves the Gentile just as much as God loves the Jew. It is not a political love. God loves the Republican as much as God loves the Democrat. It is not a racial love. God love the Black as much as God loves the White. It is not a financial love. God loves the poor just as God loves the rich. It is not a physical love. God loves the deformed just as God loves the beautiful. It is not an intellectual love. God loves the ignorant just as God loves the educated. It is a total love. God loves YOU because YOU are on God’s personal Christmas list.
You cannot go where God does not love you. You cannot act in such a way that God will quit loving you. You cannot reach the limit of God’s love, because God’s love is unlimited. You can never stop God’s love. Christmas tells us this every year.
“He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” The moment you come to that little Baby that was laid in that manger 2000 years ago, take and hold Him and believe in your heart He is the Son of God – at that moment you have eternal life.
Many of us remember the comedian, Jack Benny. When he met his future wife Mary, he was so shy he could not ask her out. But he started sending her a rose every day. After a week of getting roses she went out with him. Soon they were married. Every day of their 48-year marriage Jack had a rose delivered to his wife Mary.
The day after Jack’s funeral the florist delivery man stopped by with another rose. Mary told him this was not necessary because Jack had died. He responded, “I guess you didn’t know this Mrs. Benny, but Mr. Benny made arrangements for you to receive a rose every day for the rest of your life.”
Because YOU are on God’s personal Christmas List, every day there is a Rose of Love waiting for you. That Rose of Love is Jesus Christ. You can receive Jesus into your life and not be just on God’s Christmas List….but you can be on God’s Forever Family List.
All the Christmas presents in the world are worth nothing without the presence of Jesus!!
Take and hold the Christ Child today and believe in YOUR heart He is the Son of God – at that moment YOU will have eternal life.
JESUS THOUGHT YOU WERE WORTH LEAVING HEAVEN FOR!! MERRY CHRISTMAS!!
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