An Invitation to Come and See What God has Done

I received a beautiful gift the other day, and I was so excited I couldn’t help but share the news with my friends. It was unexpected, extravagant, and beautiful. But this kind gesture pales in comparison to the gift we celebrate at Christmas. The gift that calls us to come and see what God has done.

Christmas, the time we choose to celebrate the birth of Jesus. This Christmas I’m finding it easier to push aside the distractions of gifts, baking, and preparing the house for visitors. My focus is on Immanuel, God with us.  

Immanuel is Jesus, the Son of God, who chose to come to earth in human form. He arrived humbly, born in a stable to a young poor couple.

I wonder if the people in Bethlehem even noticed. Was it, for them, just another day during the busyness of census time? If they heard about the birth at all did they think nothing to see here?

Oh, but there was.

This tiny baby had quietly arrived in a plan designed from before the beginning of time.

Come and See What God Has Done

The plan was made in conjunction with each member of the Trinity. (God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit).

The Israelites had been living in a dark world. It had been four hundred years since they had heard from God through a prophet.

But Jesus’s birth heralded a new beginning. He fulfilled Isaiah’s prophesy:

“The people who walk in darkness
    will see a great light.
For those who live in a land of deep darkness,
    a light will shine.” Isaiah 9:2 (NLT)

The darkness was pierced, for those who chose to see the light.

How do we know that this is what Jesus did? He tells us in the bible. This is what He said when He was teaching:

” I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark.”

John 12:46 (NLT)

Do you feel like you are living in a dark time? There is hope.

The Light Of Jesus Shines to Us Today

The light of Jesus shines in the darkness we are in. It is beckoning us, even now, inviting us to come to Him.

Jesus is the long-awaited Messiah, the one who came to save us.

And aren’t we all looking for a savior? Someone who will save us from boredom, hopelessness, danger, and death.

But, today, just like when Jesus was on earth, many miss Him.

Is it because He is not what we expect?

Many in the New Testament were looking for a king who would defeat the Romans.

I think that I missed Him for a while because the simplicity of the gift was hard to accept. It was not what I expected.

I assume I need to earn what is important in life. I wonder if you do too.

We value work: earning a paycheck, establishing trust, and developing a reputation.

We Can Choose to See and Accept What God Has Done

And yet, Jesus brings a gift requiring only a choice to believe. It is all grace.

You can read more about God’s grace here.

Jesus offers us forgiveness of our sins. Once we accept that gift, we gain eternal life with Him.

While our physical bodies may die, our spirit will live forever with Him. That gives us hope. (And we have even more hope in the promise that Jesus is coming again.)

Our part is simple, we just accept.

The gift is extravagant and was bought at a great price. Before the beginning of time, God knew that we would be unable to save ourselves from sin and its consequences.

The Plan Formed Before the Beginning of Time

So, the plan was agreed upon. Jesus would come to earth as the perfect sacrifice for us.

Jesus willingly left heaven and His Father and died a painful death for us. He was resurrected from death, showing that He truly is the son of God and has defeated death – once and forever.

We are saved when we truly believe this.

Paul summarizes it this way:

“If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. ¹¹ As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.” ¹² Jew and Gentileare the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. ¹³ For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:9-13 (NLT)

No additional qualifications or work is necessary, just belief. We get to choose.

You may wonder why talk about Jesus’s death at Christmas? I know I did.

The Beautiful, Unexpected, Extravagant Gift of Jesus

It is because of the beautiful and unexpected arrival of Jesus. His arrival that we celebrate at Christmas, set in motion the events that would lead to the most extravagant gift we will ever be offered.

The gift that is offered with a love that is deeper and more vast than we will ever experience on earth.

And while I could hardly wait to tell my friends about the gift I received this week, I am even more excited to tell you of the offer that Jesus makes to you today.

I invite you to come and see what God has done.

You can enjoy Lauren Daigle’s song Noel, that talks more about what God has done here.