The Greatest News Of All
by Philip Asselin
The news that first Christmas, over 2,000 years ago, was filled with the ‘big’ stories of the day. ‘King Herod executes his son for treason!’ ‘Caesar Augustus commands Roman census of Judea’. ‘Roman census fills Bethlehem to bursting point!’ ‘Incredible supernova appears!’
Yet the one of real significance was missed by almost everyone: King Herod, Caesar Augustus, the learned men of Israel, the intelligensia of Rome, and the rich and poor alike. The shepherds on the hillsides of Judea were only made aware by a ‘great company of angels singing’, and wise men from the east only came because of the appearance of an unusual star in the east.
Over 2,000 years later it’s still far too easy to miss the event that still resounds down the ages – the birth of God’s one and only Son. The headlines are full of the atrocities inflicted by ISIS; the hundreds of thousands of immigrants pouring into the West; the fear of terrorists stalking the streets and cities; the fortune spent on presents, floods, the attacks on Israel. The list just goes on and on. Many despair for the future.
So let’s spend time this Christmas remembering whose season it really is, God’s greatest gift, His Son. He’s the gift that truly goes on giving, the only true hope for a world in turmoil and the Prince of peace to a world that’s lost its peace.
And He came to give us the greatest gift of all, ‘Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God’ (John 1:12). In all the gift giving this Christmas, let’s take time to remember the greatest gift of all and say “Thank you!”
Prayer: Father God, I thank You so much for giving me the greatest gift of all; eternal life, making me a son, or daughter, of God Almighty. Amongst all the tinsel, turkey and trappings of this Christmas time I choose to focus on Jesus, the gift of love to all mankind. Amen.
Philip Asselin Philip is on the associate ministry and teaching teams with Glyndley Manor. He and his wife Gillian attended the second Healing Retreat at Glyndley Manor in 1992, and were greatly helped. They have two grown up children, one grandson, and a step-granddaughter in California, and a daughter and granddaughter in Eastbourne. His desire is to see people healed and set free to serve God.
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