Merry Christmas! Today we celebrate the birth of our Savior, our Redeemer, Jesus Christ. Jesus was born in a stable made for animals. He came to earth with nothing. He also left with nothing but in doing so, he gave us everything.
This Advent, we’ve been studying the book of Ruth, an Old Testament model of redemption. The word redemption is an act of rescue; atonement or payment for guilt or fault. Yet redemption is also defined as an act of “regaining” or providing “restoration”. The words “regain” and “restore” communicate the idea of bringing someone back to their original state; the blessed, the beloved person who God created them to be.
In this short book, Naomi and Ruth lost their home, their husbands, and their identity in society, yet God’s bigger plan was one of redemption. No doubt these two women suffered much, but their tenacity and faith in God kept them going and brought them to a place of restoration. Ruth chapter 4 concludes with a blessing from the women in Naomi’s neighborhood; women who had watched their journey and seen their pain. Ruth 4:14-15 says, “Then the women said to Naomi, ‘Blessed be the LORD, who has not left you this day without a redeemer, and may his name be renowned in Israel! He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age.”
Jesus, whom we celebrate today, is our Redeemer. He desires us, calls us beloved, and declares that we are blessed. He came to this earth to walk among us. He counseled the brokenhearted. He comforted the barren and the grieving. He provided for those in need. And he is still doing all of this in our lives today! He has and is and will continue to restore life and nourish our souls.
Today, as you consider the birth of your redeemer, Jesus, do you believe that he calls you blessed; that you are God’s own beloved? You were created out of love. God made you in order to love you and there is nothing that you can do to make him love you more. God sent His Son, Jesus, to restore your life and bring you back to a place of wholeness through him. He did this because He loves you and desires a relationship with you. This is Christmas!
May you live today as God’s precious beloved.
Lynette Fuson
Care & Counseling Director