LOVE

The nativity of Christ is one of the greatest images of God’s love. However, to understand the love of God in the birth of Christ, we must look at it through the lense of the cross. We must recognize that the child we see laid in the manger becomes the man we see kneeling in Gethsemane pleading with the Father, yet eventually declaring, “Not my will, but yours, be done.” The child worshipped by the shepherds and wise men becomes the man we see on the cross declaring, “It is finished!” The child born in Bethlehem is the sacrificial Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, the ultimate manifestation of God’s love.

Loved ones, if you ever doubt God’s love for you, the answer is in the birth of the Savior, and ultimately in the cross. The eternal Son of God, through whom and for whom all things were created, became temporal and took on a body of flesh. He humbled himself by being born in a manger, and ultimately to the point of death on a cross, in order to save our souls and give us life. The Nativity of Christ is a reminder of the love of God towards us. So, for these holidays, I encourage you, rest in the love of God. Let His love fill you with hope and peace, leading to a joyful life lived for Him.

- Cris Chirla