在圣诞节里，我们对基督的出生有很多很多的联想：一个婴孩安睡在一个简陋的马槽里。但我们并不只是庆祝一群脏脏的牧羊人拿着小绵羊团团围着小耶稣出生在马厩而已。祂的出生并不是我们挚爱的基督一生中登峰造极的首要事件- 而是34年以后。祂在以后所作的单一行为永远改变了世界：赎罪。当我们在前生与神同住时，一个计划被提议出来。一个容许我们抵达地球，获得身体和经验，并带我们回去天父身边的计划。我们需要一块关键的拼图才能容许我们打道回府：一位救主。一位愿意带走我们的一切悲伤、愧疚、痛苦，并为我们打开大门的救主。为我们赎罪。
众所周知，我们都听过赎罪的故事。耶稣基督带走我们的罪，偿付犯罪的惩罚和代价，为世界上所有活过、活着和以后会活的灵魂感受痛楚，为我们而死，最终复活。可是，为什么？因为祂爱我们。祂所作的一切，都是为了我们。祂想亲眼看见我们回到天父和祂的身边。「與祂合而為一，回到祂的面前，祂呼喚我們的名字，展開笑容親切地迎接我們回家，張開雙臂問候我們，讓我們投入祂無盡大愛的懷抱中。」
“我們最大的希望：贖罪. 2001年，十月份總會大會中的一个演讲.”
所以你大概可以想象当耶稣快要诞生时天堂喜气洋洋的盛况。我们的救主！我们的哥哥快要来到地球，打开大门并给我们可以回到天父身边的希望。我可以想象那里的兴高采烈。像一个六岁小孩在往迪士尼乐园的途中，乘以一千次的刺激。
然后耶稣诞生。噢！我们该当高歌，我们赞颂祂名，我们不能自己！祂来了！在祂母亲温柔的手臂里，祂安静地躺卧着。我们的救赎主。这是我们庆祝圣诞节的原因，因为我们庆祝基督。
在这圣诞节里，请记得耶稣基督，那份赐予我们的礼物。一份无与伦比的礼物！探索这份礼物，接受这份礼物，和分享这份礼物。然后，记得要喝点热巧克力，多吃点手杖糖，还有用驯鹿角装扮家里的小狗，然后再吃馅饼吃到肚皮要撑开！嗨！圣诞节来了！每年最开心的节日！
We
think a lot about Christ's birth during Christmas: a small baby laid in a
humble manger. But we don't celebrate Christ just for being born in a stable
surrounded by dirty men holding lambs. His birth wasn't the crowning event of
our dear Christ's life - that came 34 years later. He performed an act so
marvelous that it would change the world forever: the Atonement.
When
we all lived with God before this life, a plan was presented. A plan that would
allow us to go to earth, gain experience and a body, and take us back to our
Heavenly Father. We just needed one key piece to make it back: a savior.
Someone who would take everything - our grief, our guilt, our pain - and open
the door. Atone for us.
We know the story of the atonement. Jesus
Christ took our sins, paid the punishment for them, felt the pains of every
soul who lived, lives, and would ever live, died for us, and finally
resurrected. But why? Because He loves us. Everything He did, He did for us. He
wants to see us return to Him and Heavenly Father, "to become one with
Him, to be in His divine presence, to be called individually by name as He
warmly welcomes us home with a radiant smile, beckoning us with open arms to be
enfolded in His boundless love."
So you can probably imagine the
excitement in heaven when Jesus was about to be born. Our Savior! Our older
brother was about to go to Earth, open that door and give us hope that we could
return to Heavenly Father and rest. I imagine there was quite the buzz. Like a
six year on the drive to Disneyland, times 1,000.
Then Jesus Christ was born. And oh how we
sang, we praised His name, we couldn't hold it back! This was it! There He lay,
in His loving mother's arms. Our Redeemer. This is why we celebrate Christmas,
because we celebrate Christ.
圣诞节快乐!
Merry Christmas!
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