Dear John,
After twenty years at the helm, this is my final Christmas email to you as the retiring CEO of Minnesota Family Council. I couldn’t be more excited about the future of this organization under the leadership of new CEO Jeff Evans—but before I go, I wanted to take one last opportunity to share with you about the hope Christmas gives us!
In the miracle of Christmas, we see God coming to Earth as a human child, born in desperate poverty and laid in a manger for cattle. The sin of Adam and Eve bequeathed shame and guilt to us, their descendants. The redemption from sin that God planned from the beginning, though, was greater and deeper and broader than sin could comprehend.
By coming to Earth as a human child in the humblest possible way, God “hoodwinked” sin, death, and the devil. Christ did not come as a king bearing a fiery sword, but as an infant child. He put on human weakness so that He could truly identify with us in our frailty.
And now (jumping forward in the story!) Christ reigns triumphant, having defeated death by dying, and having raised us up to new life in Him.
It all began at Christmas. What was promised in the Garden, and foretold in the Scriptures, was all set in motion at the Nativity. As you gather with family this Christmas season, remember that this holiday is the celebration of God’s glorious and permanent transformation of the world and of our lives. That transformation gives our entire existence meaning, hope, and a future, to borrow a line from the late Tim Keller. How can we thank Him fully for this inexpressible gift (2 Corinthians 9:15)? By fully apprehending and making our own the gifts of faith and Christian love He has given us.
Thank you for all of your support and partnership throughout the year. We pray this Christmas season will be filled with family as we reflect on the coming of Jesus. May your homes be filled with the peace, love, and joy of our Lord Jesus Christ this Christmas!
Blessings of Immanuel, God With Us, this Christmas and throughout the New Year!
