christmas without the cross?

... Christ Jesus, being in very nature God, 

did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 

but made himself nothing, 

taking the very nature of a servant, 

being made in human likeness. 

And being found in appearance as a man, 

he humbled himself 

and became obedient to death— 

even death on a cross! 

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place 

and gave him the name that is above every name, 

that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, 

in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 

and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, 

to the glory of God the Father.

phillipians 2:6-11

you know, Christmas is really insignificant without the cross. there's no good news unless Christ endures the cross and takes all sin and all God's wrath on Himself. the reason for this season is Easter.and the best news of all? He's coming again. to conquer the world forever. every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord to the glory of God the Father. what a day that will be.

* cheesy video, but just listen to the song *
if you can't see it here, click on this link to watch/listen at youtube

this song changed my life approximately 5 years ago to the day. mostly because of the last chorus. i had never grasped that Christmas and the Cross were so significantly linked to each other... that they could not hold any promise, one without the other. i wrote about it awhile ago here but i'll quote some for you here:

before the foundations of the earth,

He had appointed a place in time

that He would become a man...

SO THAT HE COULD DIE.

period.

for literally no other reason.

He came to this earth for the one purpose

of becoming the sacrifice that would cover all our sins-

past. present. and future.

this entire thing was laid out,

before the creation of the universe....

because He knew He would love me too much not to.

He wanted me to understand

the connection from Christmas... to the Cross.

they're not just two holidays that we like to celebrate.

one cannot exist without the other.

they were both pre-determined

and both necessary

for me and you to have a personal and regular

and ongoing relationship with Him.

as soon as i understood that,

it was like the flood gates opened up

...

it all came down to this

this hit me right in the face like nothing i've ever realized before in my life:

IT'S. NOT. ABOUT. ME.

period.

it never has been

and it never will be.

...

i am simply an empty body

for the Holy Spirit to fill up and use,

to do whatever He pleased.

from that moment on,

i only had one thing in mind,

and that was the overwhelming reality

of how incredibly small i was.

how incredibly insignificant i was.

how drastically unimportant any of my thoughts or feelings were

compared to the beauty and glory

and PERFECTION of a love like God's love.

a love so Holy, that He would send His only begotten Son,

so that anyone who would believe in Him would not perish,

but would have everlasting life.

...

i know that my Redeemer came to this fallen earth,

willingly died for my sin,

and LIVES today at the right hand of the Father,

interceding on my behalf.