In the lead up to Christmas, I’ve been thinking not about Jesus’ birth but his death. I suppose it’s because you can’t have one without the other.
It’s also because Jesus’ purpose in coming to earth was to die for our sins, and the purpose of his death was to rise again. This makes Jesus unique among humankind, as well as unique among gods. I know no other who was born in order to die, and who died for the express purpose of rising to life again.
I know no other who was born in order to die.
Christmas is traditionally a time of celebrating Jesus’ birth. But this Advent, as I prepare for his arrival, I’m celebrating his death as well. It might seem a little odd to be having an Easterly celebration at Christmas time, but in my mind, the two are deeply connected. Both are a mystery and a wonder.
I’ve been so taken with this notion of Christmas being inextricably linked with Easter that I wrote a song about it. It’s called Crib to Cross, and it’s about Jesus’ journey from the manger to the grave. He came to save us, his death and resurrection on the cards even before he was born. What a gift to us. What a Saviour.
I wrote a song about it, called ‘Crib to Cross’.
I marvel at God’s idea of salvation: becoming like one of us, becoming an infant, becoming vulnerable. It’s the antithesis of our notions of a God and King. We might imagine such a powerful Saviour would take over the world, dominating every ruler and nation with the force of his might, even showing off, in order to bring all peoples under his lordship.
Instead he became a baby and laid down his life for us.
He became a baby and laid down his life for us.
Incredible, isn’t it? When I reflect anew on the wonder of Christ’s birth and sacrifice, I cannot help but worship. That’s why I wrote a song about it. I must express my love for him, the King who showed his love for us by holding nothing back from us.
Hopefully I will be able to share Crib to Cross with you before long. In the meantime, I hope you experience afresh the love of Christ this Christmas, the devotion of our King who cried in a crib, our Saviour who conquered all by dying on a cross, our Lord whose resurrection has reconciled us to God.
May you know the peace, hope, love and joy of the Spirit this Christmas.
What do you think of around Christmas time? Have you ever linked Christmas with Easter? What does Jesus’ birth mean to you? Share your story. Let’s have a countercultural conversation.
NEWSFLASH: This blog has been part of a Christmas synchroblog in conjunction with other Omega Christian Writers. To read their Christmassy blogs, please click on their respective links below:
By Mercy and Truth – Dienece Darling: https://www.dienecedarling.com/post/by-mercy-and-truth-devotions-with-dienece
Let’s Celebrate – Susan Barnes: https://www.susanbarneswriter.com/lets-celebrate/
An Unexpected Rescue – Tamika Spaulding: https://www.hisherd.com/our-stories/an-unexpected-rescue
Hey, yes, I very much think of His birth and death at Christmas time. Like you said, you can’t help but think of one without the other. No one else has even been born for the purpose to die, to save us all, so we can be reconciled with God. It’s a humbling thought. It’s why understanding the way God truly loves and values us is so important. We are so incredibly precious to Him, it was worth having a beautiful baby boy be born to live and die, so we could receive His gift of grace and be given the opportunity of eternal life.
Hi Tamika, absolutely: God does value and love and treasure us! It’s interesting, God loves and values his son Jesus too, but he was prepared to give Jesus up and allow him to go through all that pain for our sakes. I don’t know if I’ll ever fully comprehend his love. Isn’t he incredible? Thanks for sharing—and Merry Christmas.
Your comment near the end about the King who cried in a crib really resonated with me.bi was just thinking tonight as I sand Away in Manager. It says the babe didn’t cry, and I know many would think of Jesus as perfect and therefore not cry. But He was human, and the story of Lazarus proves to us that He experienced the range of emotions we did. He cried.
Anyway, just something I was pondering and your comment made me think on it more. Thank you
Thanks Dienece, absolutely yes, Jesus cried! I am so glad you mentioned the example of Jesus weeping over Lazarus. That’s a story close to my heart. Jesus was human, vulnerable, emotional; such things don’t make us imperfect, they make us human! Thanks for sharing.
Someone recently commented that a lot of Charles Wesley’s Christmas carols reference Jesus’ sacrificial death for our sins. I haven’t actually checked but I know many carols do mention why Jesus came. I’ve always liked these lines from God, rest ye merry Gentlemen (though perhaps not the title!):
Remember Christ our Savior
was born on Christmas Day
to save us all from Satan’s pow’r
when we were gone astray.
Ah, good ol’ Wesley! Thanks Susan, and absolutely, there are references in God Rest Ye and other songs about Jesus’ birth being linked to his death. So profound! Thanks for sharing.