Thinking about Christmas

After a busy week of studying it's been good to take a break today. I'm sitting in front of our Christmas tree with a cup of hot cider. Everything outside is white. I heard Christmas music playing at the grocery store this week so it must be getting close to Christmas. Some of those songs talk about how this is the best time of year or how the little kid in us tends to come out in December. Christmas is a family time with all the family traditions. No wonder it's a tough time for families when someone is missing. It doesn't feel like the best time of year. In a sense I don't feel like celebrating at all. How can family time be celebrated when a place at the table is empty?

Last night I went with some friends to the Ausberg College Advent Vespers service. The first song we sang together is one of my favorites, O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. The first verse calls for Emmanuel to come ransom us who "mourn in lonely exile here." My mind went to Romans 8 where Paul talks about how we groan and the whole creation groans with us as we wait for our redemption. The older I've gotten, the more I've experienced what it means to groan in this body living in this sin filled world. John's death has added new meaning and depth to the reality of my groaning and the feeling of being in a lonely exile.

It amazes me that Jesus chose to become Emmanuel, God with us. He willingly came to this sin filled world. He joined in our groaning and mourning. He entered into the human condition and that included weeping at a friend's grave. I think he knew what it was to lose a father since there is no mention of Joseph beyond the Christmas story. Jesus came to change our destiny from death to life. He came to "disperse the gloomy clouds of night and death's dark shadows put to flight." And he accomplished what he came to do. Death couldn't hold him in the grave. He rose victorious over our worst enemy, never to die again. And he's just the first. All who put their hope in him will also be raised to live with him forever in the perfect world for which we were made.

That gives me reason to celebrate. That is why my family can celebrate Christmas. There will be tears and sorrow because John is not with us. But deeper than the grief is the confident hope that our Redeemer has come and will come again and set all things right. The story of Christmas is why we can be joyful in the midst of tears.