Last week I compared Jesus to a carpet cleaner.

Why am I comparing Jesus to a carpet cleaner?  Because God knew I could not have eternal life if my life was dirty with sin and God knew only HIS SON could clean my sins away.  So this blog is about Christmas.  It is about a baby.  A baby!  Born one night.  And on that night, my life changed. 

God had a plan.  He sent a baby.  He sent a baby to change me.  He sent a baby to change you.

God sent a baby and the baby Jesus gave us hope.

A BABY

When I look at our Christmas decorations, I see the baby Jesus in the nativity.  The nativity is the first thing you will see if you come in our front door.  The shepherd had come to see the baby and is kneeling in respect and awe.  There are angels singing and playing instruments.  The wise men are back a ways and trying to figure out exactly where they are going.  They do eventually find Joseph, Mary, and Jesus, but it took them one to two years.  If you look past the wise men, the angels have now turned to the Cross.  Yes, a Cross.  A glass Cross that reflects the lights that surround the manger and lead to the Cross.

I also see the baby Jesus at the top of our tree.  An ornament of the Holy Family, hangs right below the star.  Below them are angels …. and surrounding the angels are crosses.  Glass crosses that reflect the lights.  And strung around the tree are Mardi Gras beads.  Mardi Gras beads caught at Fat Tuesday parades on the day before Lent begins. 

For some reason, this Christmas season, my mind cannot separate Christmas and Easter.  It is as if Jesus went from the manger to the Cross.  But he did not.  Jesus grew up and experienced life.  At age 12, he told Joseph and Mary, “Why is it that you were looking for Me?  Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house?”  Jesus learned to be a carpenter.  Jesus was a good son and changed water to wine just because his mommy asked him to.  Then Jesus began his ministry. 

This is Christmas and I want to keep Jesus in the manger.  I want to cherish this baby.  I want to kneel in respect and awe.  But it was not God’s plan for Jesus to stay a baby.  God’s plan was for Jesus to fulfill his ministry.

God had a plan for Jesus to call disciples and to be an example.