Day 25. True Christmas Joy
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"Jesus said to her, "Mary." John 20:16
On this Christmas day, we come to the hour of restored joy, which is even richer and deeper, because it is fuller than the joy of the Saviour's birth.
Christmas tells of the first coming of Christ to earth, with blessings for a lost world. But Jesus was lost to His disciples when He went down into the darkness of death. Mary's message is of a Saviour come again from the darkness, and come beyond death in immortal life.
Only part of the joy came with the birth; here we have the full joy, telling of accomplished redemption and glorious victory over death and the grave. Hope was lost on the Friday of Christ's death; now the stars are shining again, never again to be eclipsed.
So this really is the full Christmas message. It tells not merely of a Savior born — but also of a Saviour that has lived, obeyed, suffered, died, and risen again — and is able therefore to save unto the uttermost all who come unto God by Him.
The shepherds and the Magi found but a little babe when they came to see the new-born King. We see a Saviour with the print of the nails in His hands and feet, who has wrought a full and glorious redemption for the world.
Jesus appeared to Mary after He had come again from death; yet death had not extinguished one beam of His brightness. The resurrection was a type and prophecy of the future resurrection of all who believe in Him and sleep in Him.
It shows us therefore that death does not mean destruction, that death is not the end of life. It is but an incident, an experience — and life goes on afterwards without loss or marring. We ought to try to learn this blessed truth. Life is not worth living, which is bounded by earth's little horizon, and does not reach out into immortality. Indeed we do not really begin to live — until we are living for immortality.
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