The First Missionary

I had to smile yesterday afternoon, as I thought about #missionsFriday and Christmas landing on a Friday. And I believe it was a God-moment, as to just how quickly it occurred to me... Christ left His place of comfort and familiarity to go to a place most would not, to reach a lost people group with the message that God had a plan to restore humanity and bring them in, to right relationship with Him. 

Only this missionary was the message, rather than communicating the message a lost people.

Perhaps you've seen the meme being posted throughout social media, that shows a Christmas wreath on the left side and a crown of thorns on the right. Over the wreath, the phrase "Tis the season. Over the crown, "For this reason".

It really is quite incredible to consider. For all those who don't think they have value, that they are of worth, that have never been told that there is a reason and purpose for this thing called "Life", Christ came to bring life. Not just life on earth, complete with meaning, but eternal life; using His life to bring us into right relationship with God the Father.

What a journey. Moments of joy, moments of sadness. Miraculous stories untold. Realizations of rejections from those who refuse to hear. Sounds like many a missionary journey. Paved by the very first; planned by God from the very beginning.

This is perhaps the most profound point of the gospel; that sovereign God made a way of redemption well before the fall of man.

Jesus Christ on a cross, for the salvation of man through the plan of redemption was not a "hail Mary" (forgive the pun) by God in a "oh my goodness, what do I do" moment of strategy.

God is not a half-way, half-thought, half-hearted God. He goes all the way, not having missed a thing, not having given less than the very best of all He had. A price can not be placed on a life, let alone a person's one and only child. Yet that's exactly what God did... because every man, woman and child was and remains, worth every drop of Christ' shed bled.

On this #missionsFriday Christmas, pray many would hear and respond to the message of Christ. May the gift of eternal life be the greatest gift received this joyous day, for it remains, the greatest gift ever offered. Pray for divine appointments and family, friends and strangers cross paths on this day of occasion, the celebration of the birth of Christ...the first missionary.

-PNC

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