by Calven Celliers
Joy to the world! the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let ev’ry heart prepare Him room, and heav’n and nature sing.
Joy To The World, is without a doubt one of my all-time favourite Christmas carols. While it omits references to shepherds, angelic choruses, and wise men, it emphasizes the reverent, ecstatic joy that Christ’s birth brings to humanity.
For centuries hearts had yearned for God to reveal Himself personally. And then, at last, it happened. John reminds us in his Gospel when he wrote “14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14NIV) And for that reason, the entire festive season should be filled with rejoicing as we remember God’s great gift, the gift of salvation.
“While many of us both give and receive gifts during the Christmas season, God gave us a gift we will never be able to repay. In exchange for our sins and shame, God offered us eternal salvation by sending His son, Jesus Christ, to earth as our Saviour. All we can do in return is accept this remarkable gift and pursue a relationship with the greatest gift-giver of all.” [Billy Graham]
That is why Jesus came from heaven to earth, so that you and I could have a personal relationship with Him and He could take up residence in our hearts. Jesus said, “20 …I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.” (Revelation 3:20NLT)
This verse screams of the very heart of Jesus and His desire to have intimate fellowship with you and me. This has been God’s heart from the very beginning of time and it will remain His heart until the end of time. Jesus offers us the opportunity to do life with Him. But notice that Jesus does not force His way into our lives, He stands and knocks, waiting for us to open the door (our lives) and invite Him in.
The real message of Christmas is not the gifts that we give to each other. Rather, it is a reminder of the gift that God has given to each of us. It is the only gift that truly keeps on giving. Jesus knocks on the door of our hearts in order to present a gift – the gift of Himself so that through Him, we may become children of God.
Is Jesus knocking at the door of your heart? Is He waiting patiently for you to open the door? Have you invited Jesus in to come and do life with you? He will not force His way in but be assured He is knocking! Let ev’ry heart prepare Him room…
God bless,
Calven
