For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. – John 6:39-40
From heaven to earth. From Bethlehem to Calvary. From a manger to a cross. From God to man. Christmas begins an epic story of just how far Jesus would travel, and just how hard His journey would be, to bring us back into a loving relationship with our Heavenly Father. Jesus came from heaven to earth to make a way for sinners like you and me to go from earth to heaven. His story births our stories where every step we take together is assured because of His willingness and faithfulness to do the Father’s will: namely, to keep us until the end of this life and raise us up at the beginning of the next. Ours will be a journey full of mountains and valleys, victories and failures, eases and hardships, prosperities and poverties. Yet through it all, we will be empowered by His presence and encouraged by His promises as we rely on Him in faith. Christmas reminds us Who Jesus is, why He came, and where He is taking us. Destination: Heaven. He will not lose us on the way. He will not let us lose our way. He promises acceptance and perseverance to anyone who truly believes. Believers are followers, and as we follow Jesus wherever He leads to do whatever He wills, let us remember that He didn’t bring us this far to bring us this far. Step by step on the way to our eternal home, let us hold on to the hope of this promise: Jesus is holding on to us until we get there.
