Fri Dec 21, 2012

Pastor Dermoth Baptiste
PRESIDENT,
SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH

Nearly two thousand years ago, a voice of mysterious import was heard in heaven, from the throne room of God, “Lo, I come, sacrifice and offering Thou would not, but a body hast Thou prepared me. . . . Lo, I come to do Thy will, O God.” Hebrews 10:5-7. In these words is announced the purpose for Christ’s intervention in human history, the historical phenomenon which the Christian world celebrates around this time, known as Christmas.{{more}}

Had Jesus appeared with the glory that was His with the Father before the world was, we could not have endured the light of His presence. The manifestation of His glory was shrouded and His divinity was veiled when humanity lay helpless in a manger, so that we might behold it and not be destroyed. In the eyes of the world the Son of God possessed no beauty that they should desire Him; yet He was the incarnate God, the light of heaven and earth. His greatness and majesty were hidden, that He might draw near to the world’s hurting, sorrowful, tempted, erring men and women. The story of the Christ child is an inexhaustible theme that reveals “the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God.” Romans 11:33.

As we marvel at the Saviour’s sacrifice in exchanging the throne of heaven for the manger, and the companionship of adoring angels for the beasts of the stall, shouldn’t our human pride, self-sufficiency and callous indifference fade into obscurity as we stand in His magnificent, revealing presence? Since Jesus came to dwell with us, we know that God is acquainted with our trials, and sympathizes with our grief. Every son and daughter of Adam can forever understand that our Creator is the friend of sinners, the Saviour of mankind. In all of God’s creation, whether animate or inanimate, every breath that we breathe, every morsel of bread that we eat, every doctrine of grace, every promise of joy, every deed of love, every divine attraction presented in the Saviour’s life on earth, we can see “God with us.”

Christ was treated as we deserve, that we might be treated as He deserves. He was condemned for our sins, in which He had no share, that we might be justified by His righteousness, in which we had no share. He suffered the death which was ours, that we might receive the life which was His. “With His stripes we are healed.”

Friends, this is the story of Christmas, the reason for the season. It is not about excessive feasting, extravagant shopping, exalting Santa and exaggerated partying; rather it is about glorifying God in every area of our lives and doing the will of the Father. As we identify with those who have lost loved ones this year and empathize with those who are grieving, we must never forget that we could have been numbered among the dead as well, but God who is rich in mercy and plenteous in grace, has preserved our lives to the twilight of this year, so that we can do some serious introspection and somber reflection on our relationship with God and our attitude to our fellowmen. As we do just that for the benefit of our soul’s salvation and the good of our nation, I embrace this opportunity on behalf of the Seventh-day Adventist Church to wish the Government and people of our State a blessed Christmas and a Spirit filled New Year.

Pastor Dermoth Baptiste

PRESIDENT, SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH