Christmas

Isaiah 53 (ESV)

1 Who has believed what he has heard from us?
And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
2For he grew up before him like a young plant,
and like a root out of dry ground;
he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,
and no beauty that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by men;
a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4 Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.

7He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,
yet he opened not his mouth;
like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,
and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,
so he opened not his mouth.
8By oppression and judgment he was taken away;
and as for his generation, who considered
that he was cut off out of the land of the living,
stricken for the transgression of my people?
9And they made his grave with the wicked
and with a rich man in his death,
although he had done no violence,
and there was no deceit in his mouth.

10Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him;
he has put him to grief;
when his soul makes an offering for guilt,
he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;
the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.

11Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see^[i] and be satisfied;by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,
make many to be accounted righteous,
and he shall bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many,
and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,
because he poured out his soul to death
and was numbered with the transgressors;
yet he bore the sin of many,
and makes intercession for the transgressors.

I do apologize for the large amount of scripture but this chapter has been on my mind lately. I have been thinking about things like what am I going to get people for Christmas? I have been looking at Isaiah a lot this semester. The reality is that Christ came to die for us. Not only die, but suffer.
Have we forgotten what Christmas is about? Maybe. It seems that people are worried about what they are going to get or what they are going to give. Let us remember Jesus who gave it all. Let us remember those who make it possible for us to celebrate. Let us remember that there are those who have never gotten anything for Christmas.
Find someone who has nothing and give them something. If you can't give them anything from a store or yourself. At least give them the message that is in the book of Isiah take them on a walk though the Gospels. Show them God That is the best and most beneficial gift you can give.

God bless you all

Semester in Review to come