A few years ago I saw a movie, ‘Message in a Bottle’. It was a rather touching love story of a couple who ‘meet accidentally’ via the message in a bottle, fall in love, and then tragically the man dies while saving a little girl who was drowning

[i.e. he gives up his life so she could live!]… the little girl lives… but the man is gone/lost forever…

I thought of the comparisons & contrasts to ‘GOD’S drama’ of redemption/saving of mankind… GOD sent JESUS intentionally, not accidentally, as a ‘Message in a manger’… The WORD became flesh… Immanuel/GOD was now with us… Hope had arrived… Death no longer has to win… ‘HE shall save HIS people from their sins!’… and the ‘Message in the manger’ went on to live a sinless life and thus could die for us all… but then HE arose from the dead, hope was fully realized, death was fully conquered and salvation was fully won for all who will believe. I’ll take the ‘Message in a manger’ any day!