First watch this...
I fully realize that this video clip
wasn't an exercise in theology, but rather it was just a part of a
silly movie. Perhaps something can still be drawn from this however.
Of course we can laugh at Ricky Bobby's attempts to say grace, but
maybe we can identify a little with him. This time of year many
people's minds are set primarily on baby Jesus for we celebrate His
birth on Christmas. To Ricky Bobby, and to many others, this baby
Jesus is their favorite Jesus. This baby Jesus is the safe Jesus.
This baby Jesus doesn't sit in judgment over our sin. This baby Jesus
doesn't threaten our choices or lifestyles. This baby Jesus isn't
offending to anyone. This baby Jesus is a Jesus we can control, and
not a Jesus that asks anything of us. He can't even speak yet!
If the baby Jesus was the only Jesus
available to us, then I expect that the Churches would have larger
crowds. The sermons would feature ear tickling, self-help styled,
topics. There would be little mention of sin, no mention of God
sending His Son Jesus to die for those sins, and no mention of the
coming judgment. Our baby Jesus would become a kind of a mascot to
our Christian faith and nothing more.
The truth is though if there were no
Jesus dying on the cross for our sins, then we would all face God
without being cleansed of them. We would not be able to enter into
the presence of a Holy God as sinful creatures, and we would be
damned forever. This is why we need ALL of Jesus, and not just the
baby Jesus.
How many churches today present a
narrow view of Jesus. The sides of Jesus presented vary from the
Jesus who accepts us without changing us, to the Jesus as an angry,
unapproachable, god who is out to get us, or to anything in between.
This is why it is important that the church isn't the only place that
we get to know Jesus. In fact, Jesus intends for us to walk daily
with Him in our relationship to Him.
It is important that we go far beyond
the baby Jesus, or any other one view of Him. It is important to get
to know the biblical and historical Jesus that came to earth, lived
among people, died for us, and was raised again from the dead, then
ascended to Heaven. However, it is even more important that we
realize that Jesus is still living among His people as they are His
body, and He is their head.
Leave it up to man to attempt to place
Jesus in an easy to control, manageable, box. This way we can present
Him in any way we desire to, but shouldn't we actually look at how
Jesus presented Himself?
According to the bible we see that the
real Jesus was offended at religious attempts to manipulate people in
the name of God. The real Jesus had very harsh things to say to the
religious leaders of His day for they had made the religion itself
their god, and had forgotten God in the process. We also see that the
real Jesus of the bible had love toward broken and sinful mankind.
The real Jesus calls sinners to
repentance, making them His followers, and then calls His followers
to abide in Him. This means to be totally committed to Him, and if
necessary even onto death. The whole Jesus is not as safe as the baby
Jesus that Ricky Bobby prays to, the one that is the smiling, warm,
Christmas icon that people have made Him into. The real Jesus shares
the meaning of why He came as a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes. He
came to die and give us life!
Now, as we come not to our own
preconceived idea of Jesus, but to Jesus Christ, the God of the
Universe and beyond, we must come humbly as we realize who we
speaking to. We must come repenting for our sins, accepting His
supreme sacrifice on the cross as payment for them, accepting Him
for Who He really is - as our Lord and our Savior. We also do this
with the understanding that Jesus wants one thing from us – Our
life as a living sacrifice unto Him.
Romans 12:1-2 says,
1 I beseech
you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your
bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is
your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but
be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what
is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Becoming a “Living Sacrifice” unto
God - This is what is Holy unto God. This is what is acceptable unto
God. This is the reasonable thing for us to do in light of what He
has done for us. Our mission in life is given here as well. We are to
prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of
God. How can we do this? By not being conformed to this world, but
being transformed by the renewing of our mind. This can only be done
by totally committing ourselves to His word. In doing so you are a
living sacrifice – living for Him. Not baby Jesus... not teenage
Jesus... not bearded Jesus... but the real Jesus... that is.. the
WHOLE JESUS.
The real Jesus is the holy One who died
so that unholy people could live forever with Him. He gave us the
ultimate gift when He gave us Himself. He did it because He loves us.
He did it so we can live forever. If this were a gift exchange, then
what gift in exchange is reasonable to give back to Him? How about
our everything? This Christmas as our focus is drawn to this beautiful gift from God - His Son, the baby Jesus, let's take time also to look at who He really is and what He wants for us.
Merry Christmas & May God Bless You!
From Randy, Ann, and Family.
