The Christmas Sacrifice

When looking at shepherds and wise men, what we see is that they were willing to sacrifice, to pay the price.

The shepherd’s sacrifice was their willingness to leave their sheep to fend for themselves while they went off to find the Lamb of God.

The sheep were the shepherd’s livelihood, and to leave them at night was a risk, because that is when the wolves and other predators would come, attack, and kill the sheep. But by faith they entrusted their flocks to the Good Shepherd.

The wise men also sacrificed and paid the price. They left behind their families and their source of livelihood to follow a star.

They took a journey of faith and traveled a long distance. It was a perilous journey because there was always the chance of being robbed and/or killed. On top of that they also brought gifts of great worth, gold, frankincense and myrrh to lay at the feet of the newborn king.

Christmas is all about sacrifice, because Christmas is all about surrendering all that we have to come to the Lord Jesus Christ, who surrendered all to come to us.

The Apostle Paul said that being God Jesus left His glory behind to become human to die upon the cross (Philippians 2:6-8).

Jesus, the Creator of heaven and earth left behind His glory and power to become a baby, born to a poor family, and into a nation that was under the subjection to the Roman Empire.

Jesus sacrificed His life upon the cross, taking the punishment for our sins so that all who would believe, and come to Him by faith, surrendering their lives willingly, will never die but have eternal life.

Christmas means giving. Not just brightly wrapped gifts but giving ourselves willingly over to the One who willing gave Himself to us, Jesus Christ.

This Christmas let’s make this sacrifice and willingly give all of who we are to Jesus Christ who willingly sacrificed Himself for us. 

Dennis Lee is Senior Pastor at Living Waters Fellowship, Mesquite, Nevada. He presently has two books, “From Here to There: A Journey to Spiritual Transformation,” and “Wells of Living Waters,” He also writes a religious column for a local newspaper entitled, “Rediscover the Bible for Life,” along with daily devotionals and thoughts that he posts on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Living Waters Fellowship’s Website

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Christmas Eve De-stressor

It’s Christmas Eve. It is likely you are preparing for a celebration sometime today or tomorrow. Perhaps you are hosting the party or driving to the party. Maybe you have traveled a great distance or others have traveled to see you. Maybe you are alone this year. No matter what your circumstances may be, the celebrations surrounding the birth of the King, at least the way we tend to celebrate, can be stressful.

It is Christmas Eve, and it is the Lord’s Day, as well. As I sit in my dark, quiet house this Christmas Eve morning, having begun to prepare for the day, I want to encourage you to take time to bolster your heart, soul, and mind by doing three things today.

First, I encourage you to pause. The next couple of days may be filled with people, expectations, opinions, and stress. Pause this morning and tomorrow morning. Enjoy the solitude of taking a break. Give yourself a time-out to focus on the meaning of the celebration. Jesus loves you. He came to give you eternal life. That’s worth considering.

Secondly, I hope you will pray. Spend time expressing your love to the Lord. Spend time praying for those with whom you will be spending your holiday. Particularly pray for the days to go well and to reflect the true meaning of Christmas. Pray for those difficult people. Pray for your attitude and words to be loving and kind.

The third thing I encourage you to do is to participate. Most churches are offering at least one worship service on this, the eve of when we celebrate the Lord’s birthday. Take time to do it well. If you cannot go to a morning service, perhaps attend one in the evening. If you are unable to get out today, join in one of the many services being streamed today. After all, it is the Lord’s Day and Christmas Eve.

Pause, pray, and participate. These three actions will help you keep the holiday well and reduce the stress surrounding the celebration. I wish you a Merry Christmas.