You Don’t Need Me. I’m Not the Good Tidings of Great Joy

It’s here!

Christmas has arrived, once again, to deliver that crucial, easily forgotten message to every Christian everywhere:

It’s not about you.

Once, maybe twice a year, the Body of Christ stops striving long enough to remember Jesus.

To be fair, many congregations press pause for a few moments weekly or monthly to do that also during communion, but Christmas, now that’s the real attention-getter.

At Christmas, we have the opportunity to remember that the Good Tidings of Great Joy announced by the angels was Jesus—not us.

Whew!

We don’t have to be perfect.

In fact, we can’t be perfect. That’s the point. That’s what centuries of trying to live up to the Law and the Prophets schooled us to understand.

No one is righteous, no, not one.

Please note. That wasn’t announced first on Twitter.

Nor was it revealed by a former celebrity Christian deconstructing their faith.

We were outed first and best by the Holy Spirit through God’s Word.

The modern translation is “there’s something wrong with every one of us.”

We need Jesus. We represent Him, but we’re not Him.

The family of God has never been perfect. Only hours after the first wind and fire as the Holy Spirit breathed life into the Body of Christ, we experienced threats from without, conflict from within, and wolves disguised as sheep.

They continue to this day.

And yet, God.

And yet, God chose to work through us.

He could have swept us off the surface of the planet at any moment with one Word, but He hasn’t.

He sees perfectly everything we’re doing wrong, but He still inhabits the church and chooses to work through us.

Because it’s not about us.

It’s Jesus.

It’s because of Jesus we are saints. Not due to our saintly behavior but our saintly status which was achieved by Jesus and bestowed upon us as a gift.

Yes, there are wolves among us. There are wolves and backsliders and immature babies, so when people point fingers at the church, it’s not hard to find a legitimate target for criticism.

Still, it’s wrong to imagine that if we, the church, suddenly got it all together and demonstrated perfect behavior, then that would solve the problems of the world.

It would not.

Because the world doesn’t need us to save it. Jesus did that.  The world needs Jesus.

There will be no generation born that is so evolved or educated or developed or awake that sin crumbles under the weight of their good behavior.

Every generation will need salvation through Jesus until He comes again.

Jesus loves perfectly.

Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

I could be a model of what you believe a Christian should be but if you don’t give your life to Jesus, you’re still doomed.

Therefore, we have reason to hope—the government is upon HIS shoulders. Not ours.

We don’t have to enter the new year fretting about the failure of the global church or worried what scandal is around the corner.

We don’t have to beat ourselves up or hide in shame over our individual failings. We just need to confess them and receive His forgiveness.

None is righteous, no, not one.

Yes, Christians need to grow up. Jesus freed us from our bondage to sin so every moment we should exercise more and more of that freedom by choosing obedience, glorious, life-affirming, God-honoring, joyful obedience.

Our love should represent His.

But, unbelieving world, you don’t need me. I cannot save you.

My perfection cannot provide you eternal life. My unconditional love can only you comfort you on this side of death, and without Jesus, I promise you, it’s false comfort.

It’s Jesus your heart is seeking. It’s Jesus you need. It’s His love that saves, even when you don’t realize you need saving.

The early church preached Christ crucified. And it was wisdom to those moving into life and foolishness to those heading for death.

Still is.

And will be until He comes.

So, don’t wait until you can point to your ideal congregation or your perfect church or that flawless pastor to speak the truth of Christ. Because the world doesn’t need that, they need Him—Jesus.

Just like we need Him.

And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David 

-not a movement,

-not a group of perfect people,

-not an institution,

-not reform, not a school, not a philosophy or denomination or political structure

-not a place of inclusion and comfort and celebration of the authentic “you”

No. What is born this day in the city of David is

a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

The Creator God who spoke us all into being, the One against whom we rebelled when we chose sin over His ways, this same God loved the world so much He sent His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.

That is our message to you. Our best message. Our only message. Transmitted intermittently through lives surrendered to Him.

The message we have been privileged to receive and apply to our own sinful, broken lives.

Jesus.

He is our hope, freedom, and perfection. He is our future. He is our Way, our Truth, and our Life.

He came for us.

He came for you.

This is Christmas. It’s not about us. It’s about Jesus.

Decide.

Death or life.

He is life.

Glory to God in the Highest and on earth, peace, among those with whom He is pleased.

May you be counted in that number in the year to come.

**Dear Readers, you bring me unimaginable joy simply by allowing me into your life once a week or so. I treasure each comment and I treasure those who never comment but take the time to read. God’s love for you is rich, relentless, righteous, and eternal. May you know His love in deeper, higher, and greater ways in the year to come. In Jesus’ name, Amen. Merry, merry, Christmas, my dear friends.

You don't need me. I'm not the good tidings of great joy! https://t.co/tgccJHZcVt #Christmas #amwriting

— Lori Roeleveld (@lorisroeleveld) December 21, 2022