Merry Christmas?

So here it is. Christmas. There are two firsts for me this Christmas:

1.) It's the first Christmas of my 20's.. and
2.) It's the first Christmas without my family.

I'll admit, I was kind of depressed that I would be spending Christmas half a world a way from my family. Hearing of all the wonderful Christmas plans that my friends had made with their families caused me to sulk in my loneliness for a while. It seemed at every turn there was a family enjoying a meal, or a commercial with a family eating Christmas dinner. Christmas this year seemed like it was just going to fall short of being Christmas...

As the clock struck twelve (Christmas), I read aloud Matthew 1 as I played my guitar slowly. I actually got excited reading the genealogy of Jesus for the first time. As the names got closer and closer to Jesus I started to play harder and read louder. By the time I got to verse 14 I could no longer hold back, I shouted that Azor was the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Akim, and Akim the father of Eliud, Eliud the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matthan! Jesus was coming soon! I continued on almost sweating: Matthan the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born JESUS, who is called Christ!

My hair stood on end as I read verse 21: "She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." THIS is the first Christmas that I've truly reflected on that. Jesus was born into this world so that He could take our punishment. I would encourage you to reflect on that. I don't know who you are reading this, you may have just stumbled on this randomly, or you may be a close friend. Either way, may you be transformed by the love of Jesus Christ this Christmas season.