The sign at the little country church caught my eye when I was on a road trip one day. It was obvious that the establishment date of 33 AD on the sign was not talking about the building it leaned against.
The Church isn’t a building; the Church is the group of people who trust and follow Jesus. The people of the Church are scattered all over the world but joined together in unity through the Holy Spirit who lives in each individual. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 3:16 (NLT), “Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you?”
Christmas is so much more than celebrating the birth of a baby. That baby, Jesus, was born to offer himself as a sacrifice on the cross and to save us from our sin that separates us from God. I am thankful for the great sacrifice Jesus made and that he rose from the dead so that if I die to myself, I receive new life—eternal life—in him. I am thankful that he ascended back into heaven where he sits at the right hand of the Father and that he poured out his Spirit to dwell in those who choose to follow him.
As we celebrate the miracle of a Baby born to a virgin, let us celebrate as well the miracle of his resurrection, the miracle of his Spirit living in us, the miracle of the powerful work that the Spirit does in our lives as he transforms us to be more like Jesus and the miracle of the Holy Spirit working through us, the Church, to share God’s love and message of hope with others.
During this Advent season when we are preparing our hearts for the coming of Jesus, “let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Let us not take for granted his great sacrifice but remember Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 6:20, “…you were bought at a price….”