The Auldridges

…a very merry Christmas. I didn’t post a Merry Christmas message yesterday because I wasn’t on the computer much. We had a great time as a family, first at our house in the morning with just Shari and the boys and me, then at my parents with them and my own gang along with all of my siblings and their spouses, my grandfather, and niece and nephew. The whole gang was there. And Emily, my sister, announced she was pregnant with her first! A new member of the family was living and celebrating with us!

Our boys had a great time opening all the presents their spoiled little butts received and enjoying the attention of family and playing with cousins. We had a blessed time, indeed.

Throughout the day, though, one thought kept coming to me. I kept zeroing in on the fact that Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Though I have always thought of that on Christmas and throughout the rest of the year, I kept thinking about how Jesus’ birth brought to an end the need for Earthly covenantal representatives. Jesus being born brought to an end thousands of years of particular men representing us in God’s covenants. Jesus was replacing Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David. He was also replacing all of the prophets who had come before. He was doing more than replacing them–he was fulfilling them. In His birth a monumental step forward in the redemptive plan of God for man was completed. Our final representative–the one that wouldn’t fail–the one who holds our only hope–was sent to us. He lived around 30 years teaching this, but more importantly representing, with his perfect life, those who will call on Him. Before releasing His spirit to death, He earned what no covenant representative could have ever earned for us–true righteousness which we can take onto ourselves by placing a living faith in Him. In celebrating Christmas we are celebrating the final prophet and representative in the redemptive plan for man, Jesus Christ. I found this truly powerful.

I hope you all share what I felt in thinking about that. And I hope you each had a blessed and merry Christmas. Our family prays that the rest of your celebrations and the new year will be joyful as well.