The empty cross

And so it is here, the end of the year once again. It may be that the older we get the faster the time passes. Relativity, I know, but this year went flying. And wanting to or not it’s difficult not to get carried away with all the movement that this season brings about.

 

This year I decided to play differently than everyone else, if you don’t know anything about me you should know I don’t like to go with the flow, I like to do my own thing and I don’t follow the masses.  With so many things to do, (house for sale, child studying at home, new puppy, etc.) I decided to not to decorate my house for Christmas. And even though it’s liberating, that is not the reason I wanted to do this.

 

I, for one want to teach my child that this season is not about a fat guy dressed in red that takes the credit for all the presents we have to buy. I also want her to know that it is not about decorations, or food, or presents. I want her to know that the real reason we celebrate is because over two thousand years ago the most wonderful thing happened and we should not forget, not set it aside while this world fills us with its own ideas and ideals.

 

This year instead of a Christmas tree we are setting up an empty cross. Why? Well, you see it is true that Jesus came down to earth to be born as a man, to be delivered as a tiny baby, innocent, defenseless and blameless, but He didn’t stay there.

Now, please I know this is an important part, He didn’t stay a baby, but He grew up still blameless and lived the life I couldn’t and paid for what I have done. He took the cross for my sins. He died on a cross, BUT He didn’t stay there. His body was put in a tomb, but He didn’t stay there either.

I simply don’t want to get carried away by the insistence of this world of forgetting WHO is the real reason we celebrate, not for gifts, not for traditions, but for Him and He being God is very alive.  He is not on the cross anymore.

 

And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?

Luke 24:5

So this year, and maybe all of the years to come, I won’t decorate a tree that may look beautiful, but has nothing to do with my Savior. I won’t fill my house with fake snow and little bears dressed in red suits. I won’t fill the house with little electric lights that shine only at night.

But this year I will fill my house with one light, a true light, the light of my Savior. Knowing that I could not pay my debt, He came to this earth over two thousand years ago and paid it for me.

For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 4:6