“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,

“See, the home of God is among mortals.
He will dwell with them;
they will be his peoples,
and God himself will be with them;
he will wipe every tear from their eyes.
Death will be no more;
mourning and crying and pain will be no more,
for the first things have passed away.”

And the one who was seated on the throne said, “See, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.” Then he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life. Those who conquer will inherit these things, and I will be their God and they will be my children.” Revelation 21:1-7

Jesus is Here

By Cynthia Ownby

This very day, a child is born. Not just any child, for this child had been foretold by an angel. Our Savior enters the world in the only human way: as a tiny baby, a miracle to Mary.

Today is a day to be celebrated, for today is the day when God chose to walk on earth with us. The divide between what is Godly and what is worldly is gone, for the heavenly has become human. Our Creator, YAHWEH, sent Jesus to live and walk among us. This baby boy we celebrate is God in human form, God among us, choosing to dwell among us and live as we live.

With the birth of this newborn, our Lord and King, we are being renewed. Humanity is reconciled to God. It is done. All things are new, even as God is renewing them minute by minute. As we are renewed, we have hope for what the future holds.

And this is our hope: that this broken world is not the end. God is renewing it. There will be a day with no mourning, no pain, and no darkness. A day when our tears make sense. A day when you and I are completely renewed, living as the beloved children of our Father. A day where God’s reconciliatory work is complete. And all of this because of a tiny baby. A time when God chose to show up on earth. A reminder for you and me that God will continue to show up.

Jesus is here to renew the world. Jesus is here to renew you and me. He is here to take all the fallen pieces of ourselves so that we can be made whole in God alone. Our hope is here. Our hope has come, in the birth of a tiny newborn.