Born To Die

We caught part of Polar Express over the weekend.  The animation is great.  Towards the end of the movie the train conductor tells the boy that the meaning of Christmas resides within him.

How utterly sad.

How hopeless.

How depressing.

How humanistic.

I've been meditating on Ephesians 1:4-5 the past couple of days.  It was used in the Sunday sermon.
               According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation
             of the world that we should be holy and without blame before
             him.
               Having predestinated [marked out beforehand] us unto the
             adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according
             to the good pleasure of his will.

Absolutely none, not one twinkle of time as we know it is accidental.  No event in the life of any human is accidental.  Before the world was created, before time began God marked out [predestined] the redemptive story.  All of history, every single event, is part of the redemptive story and is therefore predestined by Him. 

That means that before time began the Godhead marked out Christ to die.

He was born for the express purpose of dieing.

The meaning of Christmas is found in Christ alone.

My heart leaps  for joy as I ponder that.  Thank God the meaning of Christmas has nothing to do with me.

Written by Nikki