Christmas: a season of declaration and hope.

War. Not exactly the first thing that comes to mind a Christmas, but it has everything to do with the season. I had my eyes opened during a church sermon, not expecting it to impact me so much. We often get caught up in the commercialism of this season: the gifts, the clay-mation deer, the carols singing of winter wonderlands and worldly loves. When we do imagine the deeper meaning it looks something like a gorgeous little cherubic Baby Jesus surrounded by glowing Mary and Joseph who look like they've just stepped out of a day spa. Throw in some cute shepherds and some fluffy animals and the whole picture is something from a Precious Moment's catalog.

However, Christ's birth was an act of war, a declaration that one day we would be taken from this earth and out of the grasp of satan. Christmas is God saying to satan, "Here is My Champion. Here is the One who will own you. Here is the One who will crush you and death and anything you throw His way. One day He will be victorious and come back and kick your butt." Bet you thought Christmas was just about a cute manger scene and the happy, uplifting side of Christianity. I know i did. I never did get the big picture until a few weeks ago.

Christmas is the beginning of the end of the spiritual war going on around us daily. satan is trying to cling to us to take us from God. Christmas is where God declares He has a plan to save us. The birth of Jesus was God's sacrifice entering the world: the One that would save us and destroy the enemy. Christ came as a baby to one day suffer for our inequities and our transgressions. For every slap in the face that we throw His way, He took to the cross. God sent His Holy Son fully aware that while Christ was dying and gifting us with eternal life, satan was losing souls to take away from Heaven. So He was born into a world that turns Him away and mocks Him. We do it daily. We choose our own ways instead of His. But take hope in the Christmas season. He was born to forgive our sins and save us from death. He gives eternal life. He will be the Victor over satan. He will one day take us to our Heavenly home and give us the gift of being with him forever. Take that, satan.

Our hope is in something eternal and daily forgiving and forever reigning. satan had no hope once God sent Christ. Every action from then on was set in to motion on that one starry night. Where the Son of God and Son of Man collide to form the perfect sacrifice. That one brave and imperfect couple who was thrown into a dirty and less than desired stable. It was set into motion when the first to worship Christ were the humble and simple shepherds who none thought worthy of any status. That imperfect scene is the perfect declaration of our God. He is proclaiming the hope we have of salvation and the hope we have in an everlasting victory. Praise to our Savior. His unfailing love and mercy daily save us. Christmas reminds me of His glory, of His eternal victory, and of His sacrifice. Thank You, Lord. We can never say it enough. Declare hope this season. Declare that our Heavenly Daddy will be the Champion. Declare that we have a reason to sing, to worship, to live differently and to live radiantly.