Jesus, Born to Leave & Empower

John 16:7, Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you

Did you know that Jesus was born to leave? 

During the Christmas season we focus on and celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. For those of us who are Christ followers, we are sensitive to the neglect of Christ during Christmas in our culture. 

After the birth of Jesus in the manger, which was an animal feeding place, the scene shifts to an angel announcing the birth of Jesus to shepherds tending sheep in a field. While Jesus was born in a noisy place, the announcement of his birth was made in a quiet place. God still wants to speak to you and quiet places.

Luke 2:10 forward to the words of the angel, "I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!"

Verse 13 reads, "Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying  Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"

In all of the joy of Jesus' birth, we keep our focus on the reason for His birth. He came to bring great joy to all people. He came to glorify God and bring peace on earth, dwell in the hearts of people, and goodwill towards all.

We know that joy, peace, and goodwill are achieved only with a change of heart. These are virtues we are not born with and that we cannot produce on our own. Not even the productive and holy life that Jesus lived was enough to change the hearts of people. Jesus had to die, be buried, leave the earth, and send back the Holy Spirit to bring His promises to pass.

This is why Jesus said it was to our advantage that he would go away. As a man, even a Divine Man, Jesus was limited to being at one place at one time. Through the Holy Spirit, God causes the Spirit of Christ to dwell within those who have received him as Lord, and do works that bring joy, peace, and goodwill to all.

So during this Christmas, celebrate Christ birth, but don't forget to live in the reality of why Jesus came, lived, died for our sins, was buried, and rose again. 

He was born to leave, but for the greater purpose of sending God's power into your life.