For This Reason...Merry Christmas!

The Bible explains in 1 John 3:8 that FOR THIS REASON, Jesus came. The Phillips translation reads,  “Now the Son of God came to earth with the express purpose of liquidating the devil’s activities.” What’s the devil doing in your life? For the reason of evil in the world, in your world, in your life, in all that you see that is not good and not of God…for this reason Jesus came into the world. For this reason Jesus came to destroy once and for all the works of the evil one.

I can remember visiting a special paternal aunt, Freda Masciarelli, just before Christmas. She was at the Dana Farber Hospital in Boston, diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at 53 years of age. Aunt Freda owned a jewelry store in Framingham, Massachusetts, where we would visit her often. I remember as a child peering into the jewelry case with my eyes glued to a Mickey Mouse watch with a red strap. Now, my Aunt Freda was in her last days on earth. Visiting her for the last time with Pastor George, I heard him strongly give her two words, “MERRY CHRISTMAS!” I cringed.  Pancreatic cancer is not Merry Christmas.  

Currently, for my husband, Dennis, cancer is a “Goliath” in his life that needs a stone from David’s sling to destroy the giant. Cancer, like any other evil in the world, needs to hear the words of the young shepherd boy, David: “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.” I Samuel 17:45

Merry Christmas to you and your world! Merry Christmas to every child fleeing with their parents as refugees. Merry Christmas to each one fighting a Goliath in their world. We pray for the Christ child to be with every description of evil and bring a glorious light—a sounding joy that cannot be made silent, and an everlasting peace that calms and comforts beyond any human understanding.

Only Jesus can see every evil on the face of the earth, and He can touch, respond, love, heal, and change the blackness into the noonday sunshine. The more days on earth I have, I hear stories of imperfect lives. But, these lives are standing tall and shining in the image of their Savior, Healer, and most blessedly with assurance of a coming Jesus.

Yes, this is the reason Jesus came with a gift unlimited and big enough to satisfy every pumping heart on earth with the Good News. Not just news of salvation and eternity, but a living gift constantly wrapped in the power of the Holy Spirit—encompassing our lives with hope and expecting a miracle.

As brothers and sisters, we know the reason. We know why He came. His love for you and for me gives us the joyous spirit of the season every moment until we begin our next life with Him in another world with no evil. The darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining (1 John 2:8b). We know Jesus is coming again!

Merry Christmas!
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The holiday season is especially difficult for families struggling for victory, for a miracle, or for survival. Jesus knows. You are never out of His powerful touching presence. He cares. He understands. This Christmas, I take a deep breath and exercise my faith to say, “Merry Christmas!” I take the life of a Living Babe into my deepest being. Wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas!

Sincerely,
Jeanne DeTellis O’Connor    

P.S.  At the time of writing this article, my husband of five years, Dennis O’Connor, is fighting mesothelioma lung cancer and is under hospice care. Jesus came to this earth for this reason: for Dennis O’Connor, for you, and for me.