Jesus….the reason for our Christmas season. Yesterday our church bulletin had a nice piece printed on the back that I thought many of you would enjoy reading. Our pastor spoke of the power in the name of Jesus. Some years back, when John was going to the Baptist college over at Bolivar, MO., he invited us to hear Andre Crouch in concert. We loved his music and it would be a thrill to see him perform in person.

Andre had written a song previously....on the same pretext….of the power in the name of Jesus. We sat electrified as he and his vocal backup…along with his band, belted out song after song. That song was the last one he sang and by the time he finished the audience was on their feet, cheering. I thought, what a difference in seeing this crowd cheer for the One of their faith as opposed to cheering crowds for a rock star. We so misuse the word “star” in our world…..when I think about the Star used by God to bring the three Wise Men to Jesus, the intent and comparison to a rock star is vastly out of place.

I realize Andre has had his problems with drugs and alcohol so he is not the one to be deified here….he is a messenger, obviously one who battles the same addictions that most of the rock stars have, but the difference is the content of the music. Andre keeps trying to express his faith and belief in the Jesus who can free him of his sinful ways….kinda like the rest of us….living in a world of reality while looking up for The Star to guide us.

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Someone has said that Jesus Christ came from the bosom of the Father to the bosom of a woman. He put on humanity that we might put on divinity. He became the Son of Man that we might become sons of God.

He was born contrary to the laws of nature, lived in poverty, was reared in obscurity, and only once crossed the boundary of the land in which He was born…and that in His childhood.

He had no wealth or influence and had neither training nor education in the world’s schools. His relatives were inconspicuous and insignificant. In infancy He startled a king. In boyhood, He puzzled the learned scholars. In manhood He ruled the course of nature. He walked upon the billows and hushed the sea to sleep. He healed the multitudes without medicine and made no charge for his services.

He never wrote a book and yet all the libraries of the world could not hold the books about Him. He never wrote a song, yet He has furnished the theme for more songs than all the songwriters together. He never founded a college, yet all the schools together cannot boast of as many students as He has. He never practiced medicine and yet he has healed more broken hearts than all the doctors have healed broken bodies.

This Jesus Christ is the star of astronomy, the rock of geology, the lion and lamb of zoology, the harmonizer of all discords and the healer of all diseases. Throughout history great men have come and gone, yet He lives on.

Herod could not kill Him.
Satan could not seduce Him.
Death could not destroy Him and the grave could not hold him.
This is the Christ of Christmas.

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Until tomorrow,
Essentially Esther