It is the time of year when many of us are celebrating the birth of Jesus. It is a time of mangers and pageants and the story of a baby coming down from heaven. We sing "Joy to the World", "Away in a Manger", and "Silent Night". We focus on gifts, love, family, and church. For some of you, this will be one of the two or three times all year you will make it to church. We celebrate this baby born to save us from our sins.

So who would not love baby Jesus?

Satan. Baby Jesus ruined all of his plans. Sin ruined God’s perfect creation. Tears, hard work, and pain enter the world. But God fixes our mistakes. He forgives our sins. All because he sent his son to be born of a woman. A son who would grow up to die on the cross for our sins. A son that he would raise from the dead. Jesus.

The powers of this world hate Jesus. The ways of power in this world are found in violence and coercion, lying and deceiving. This world is selfish. Power is exercised to get what we want. Power is to be gained — and kept — at any and all costs. Jesus turned this world upside down. No wonder they tried to kill him even as a baby. And they failed. He grew up, he died, and he was raised. His kingdom still reigns. His kingdom has outlasted all the rulers and countries of this world. His rule will never end.

And some of you do not love baby Jesus. Or, at least you do not love the man he grew up to be. You ignore him. You refuse to believe in him. You live a life different from the Jesus way. You think about him only occasionally. Like, well… at Christmas. And to be honest, you hate that he grew up. He confronts your sin, and he demands obedience. He surrendered his life for you and now asks you to surrender your life to him. He asks you to lose your life in order to find it in Him.

And you don’t like it.

But he still loves you. He did die for you.

I can help you. Write to me at steve@hopeforlife.org or visit our HopeForLife.org website.

Even some of you do not love baby Jesus.

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Are you presently experiencing a new life? God's word says, "if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"

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