The world calls it Christmas, a day of the year set aside for family, it is a time of joy and celebration. This day also holds the promise of a gift we all can embrace, it’s a time of reflection and gratitude. A reminder of the greatest gift of all, the gift that God gave to the world: his only Son, Jesus Christ.
Have you ever wondered what it was like for God to send his Son to earth, knowing that he would suffer and die for our sins? How did God feel when he saw his beloved Son being rejected, mocked, and crucified by the very people he came to save? How did Jesus feel when he knew that he was born to die, that his destiny was to be the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world?
The Bible tells us that God loves us so much that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). God did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all (Romans 8:32). Jesus, who was in the very nature of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross (Philippians 2:6-8).
Jesus came to earth not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45). He came to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10). He came to proclaim good news to the poor, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners (Isaiah 61:1). He came to heal the sick, to feed the hungry, to raise the dead, to calm the storm, to walk on water, to forgive sins, and to show us the way, the truth, and the life (Matthew 4:23-25, 14:13-33, 9:1-8, John 14:6).
But the world did not recognize him, nor did it receive him (John 1:10-11). The world hated him, because he testified that its works were evil (John 7:7). The world plotted against him, and handed him over to be crucified (Matthew 26:3-4, 27:1-2). The world chose a murderer over him, and shouted, “Crucify him!” (Matthew 27:15-23). The world mocked him, spit on him, flogged him, and pierced him (Matthew 27:27-31, 35). The world abandoned him, betrayed him, denied him, and forsake him (Matthew 26:47-56, 69-75, 27:46).
But Jesus did not retaliate, nor did he threaten (1 Peter 2:23). He did not call down legions of angels to rescue him, nor did he come down from the cross to save himself (Matthew 26:53, 27:40-42). He prayed for his enemies, and said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). He endured the cross, scorning its shame, for the joy set before him (Hebrews 12:2). He gave up his spirit, and said, “It is finished” (John 19:30).
He finished the work that God gave him to do (John 17:4). He paid the price for our redemption (1 Peter 1:18-19). He bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness (1 Peter 2:24). He died for our sins according to the Scriptures, he was buried, and he was raised on the third day (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). He ascended to heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God (Mark 16:19). He is the King of kings and Lord of lords, the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End (Revelation 19:16, 22:13).
This is the Christmas story, the story of God’s love for the world, the story of Jesus’ sacrifice for us. This is the greatest gift of all, the gift that we can never repay, the gift that we can only receive by faith. This is the gift that changes everything, the gift that gives us hope, peace, joy, and love. This is the gift that we celebrate, the gift that we share, the gift that we live for.
Merry Christmas!
