Second Chances
“He has redeemed my soul from going down into the pit,
and my life shall look upon the light.
‘Behold, God does all these things,
twice, three times, with a man,
to bring back his soul from the pit,
that he may be lighted with the light of life.’” – Job 33:28-30 ESV
Second Chances
This way to the cave-like Stable… to the Manger… to the Child announced by Angels.
This way to the Silent Night… to the newborn King… to the Savior of the world.
This way to Immanuel… to God with us.
This way to the baby Jesus… our deliverer, our rescuer.
The baby, whose birth we celebrate this week.
The baby who grew to be a man, but not any ordinary man.
A man who lived a holy, sinless life.
A man who is Son of God and Son of man.
A man who lived and died on a criminal’s cross.
A man who was buried in a borrowed tomb and three days later rose from the dead and lived again.
This way to the baby who grew to be a man, who died for our sins so that we might have life, might be forgiven, might one day be with Him in heaven.
This way to the God of Second Chances…
“If Jesus is the son of God, why did God choose two poor peasants to be His parents? And why wasn’t He born in a palace rather than a barn? Because Jesus didn’t come just for the rich and powerful, He came for everyone.
If Jesus had been born in the son of a king, people would think, ‘Sure look what power can do.’ If Jesus was from a wealthy home, people would say, ‘Sure look what money can do.’ But Jesus was born to a teenage girl, from this nothing town called Nazareth. She was married to a carpenter. So, Jesus wasn’t laid in a bassinet but in a feed trough. Jesus grew up, not as royalty but a carpenter’s son. He had calluses on His hands and blisters on His feet.
But why? Isn’t this absurd and illogical? Well, God’s reason had nothing to do with logic. He did it for love. He did this because He is in love with you. He came this way because He came for every person on this planet. The stable reminds us that there is room for everyone in God’s heart—even those who feel they have no place in this world. Jesus comes to each of us with open arms, offering us a place with Him. God is saying, ‘No matter who you are or what you’ve done, there’s room for you.’
Jesus came to a world where there was no room for Him. But He did that so that there could be room for you in Heaven. Christ came to bring you home for Christmas.” – Pastor Tony Walliser