For centuries God prepared his people for the coming of his Son, Jesus, the promised Messiah and Lord of all creation. His birth marked the dawn of redeeming grace and a turning point in the history of the world. Centuries later his coming is still celebrated during Advent and Christmas, the season for remembering that Jesus is the foundation for everything.

Because if we took Jesus out of the world, what would we have left? A world a where our selfishness is excused and even celebrated, a world where our sorrows are numbed but never cured, a world where chaos and confusion are the order of the day, a world where the fate of everyone would only be death and meaninglessness. That's the world without Jesus.

But the world with Jesus is radically different: his life gives joy, his rule brings peace, his death defines love, and his resurrection sustains hope. Love, joy, peace, and hope—they are Jesus' gifts to the world, and he gives them freely to all who come to him.