The Blessings of the Christ Child

This morning as I thought about the Christ child and what He means to us, the word redemption came to me in a different sort of way.  We are used to thinking about Him being the redeemer.  I am so very glad for our beautiful Savior.  But this morning I was reminded that redemption comes in different ways.

Redemption may come in the form of a new revelation of truth.  This may be truth about ourselves or truth that we discover in the Scripture.  Sometimes a Scripture that we have read over and over takes on a new meaning and offers redemption in some part of our life.  Sometimes redemption happens through the words of others…our souls are in need of healing and a word from  someone else redeems us.  It is beautiful.

Redemption may come in the most unlikely packages…a baby…the Christ child.  Only a few welcomed Him.  They welcomed Him as a king.  The redemption He brought, however, was not redemption from Rome.  It was redemption from Evil who is the master manipulator of our Rome.  We wrestle not against flesh but against powers.  Redemption is in this truth.  We keep beating our heads against flesh and blood.  This is true on all levels.  For instance, we have the Scripture that says, “He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions” Psalm 107:20.  Unless we are developing spiritual eyesight, we will miss the redemption that comes in the message that is being given when we struggle with physical issues.  Healing is so much more than physical.  Over 90% of our physical distresses are triggered by emotional and spiritual things.

Redemption comes in unlikely processes.  A child is born.  Thirty years of living happens.  Thirty years of getting to know this man called Jesus.  Can any good things come from Nazareth?  Walking side by side daily, they did not recognize that their redemption was here.  Here was a process that took time.  It was a process that modeled he that is the least shall be great.  It is a process that was full of paradoxes…it still is.  In what looked like complete failure, there was complete victory.  

Redemption comes in many, many little triumphs of doing the loving thing.  “He who does good is of God…” Third John 11.  Sometimes the doing good just seems like a little thing.   Jesus said that we have done it unto Him if we have done it unto anyone.  One of those beautiful paradoxes we get to experience.   

We have been given the gift of redemption.  That means that we have been rescued from the enemies camp.  When we were not ready for the truth.  When we were not ready for the package.  When we were not ready for the process.  God fractured the Godhead and poured out a Son from heaven!  This love is still redeeming us in so many ways each day.  The modeling of this love is teaching us to look for this redemption and to be about the Father’s business of extending to others redemption in whatever good that we are called to do.  Redemption…if we have done it to others, we have done it to/for Him. 

May the blessings of the Christ child fill you with joy and enhanced spiritual eyesight as we behold and celebrate Him.