Just the Beginning

Christmas Day 2018 has passed.

In the days to come the decorations will come down and be relegated to storage for another year.

Retailers will be selling Christmas items at a fraction of cost simply to make room for new stock.

In a short time, there will be virtually no physical reminder that there was ever such a thing as Christmas.

This is most unfortunate.

Christmas is not the whole story.

It is just the beginning of the most wonderful story ever told.

It is not a story of how a fallen mankind reached up to God for help.

Rather, it is the story of how God reached down to help a fallen mankind that could not help itself.

He did so in a most remarkable and totally unexpected way.

Jesus was not a military leader sent to overthrow the oppressors by force.

He was not sent to influence those whom the world considered the movers and the shakers of the age.

Instead, He came into the world as a helpless baby.

A baby born to humble parents in a stable.

Even the first to be told of His birth were but simple shepherds.

But as I said, this is just the beginning of the story.

In practically no time, He set about His Father’s work.

In time, He went on to dine with sinners and tax collectors.

He healed lepers that were outcast by society.

He healed the blind so that they might see and the lame so that they might walk.

He taught and preached not to the mighty but to the ordinary.

He told us to love God and to love our neighbor.

Most importantly, He showed us how to do this as well.

That is the middle of the story, but there is still more.

Jesus eventually makes His way to a cross and to an empty tomb beyond it.

Therein lies real hope for us all.

John 1:14 (NET) - Now the Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We saw his glory—the glory of the one and only, full of grace and truth, who came from the Father.

Christmas decorations might be relegated to storage for another year.

I pray we do not do the same with our hearts.

Remember, the story is far from over.

In fact, it has just begun.

1 John 2:6 (NET) - The one who says he resides in God ought himself to walk just as Jesus walked.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, January 4, 2019.

I will be back here on Friday, January 11, 2019