(Posting from December 6, 2012)
No matter what you may think during this time of year....
Christmas has a purpose....It is a sign post...a day of remembrance....
A day to remember the birth of Jesus.....
"For unto you this day is born in the city of David a Savior, Christ the Lord."
But this day is only a directional arrow that points to something greater....
The cross.
A birth that would point to something greater.
Jesus was born to die.
That little baby, there in that stable in Bethlehem, was brought into this world to die.
But he was to die for a greater purpose.
He became the lamb that was offered up for me....and for you. If you want to get down to the heart of the matter.....Sin is the reason we celebrate Christmas. If not for the sins of the world, my sin and your sin, Jesus would never have been born.
His blood was spilt on that rocky hill outside of Jerusalem to pay the price that the sin of the world demanded.
Every drop of that precious blood that flowed and fell to the ground was the key that opened to the door for you and me to have right relationship with God. We were reconciled on that day and salvation was brought to the forefront of humanity. No longer would the blood of sheep and goats and bulls and pigeons be needed. No longer would yearly trips to the Temple be needed to receive atonement for sin.
That baby boy, born in Bethlehem, was to be the ultimate sacrifice for our sin.
Hebrews 9:22 reads:
And according to the law, one may also say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
The mention of a bloody Jesus....
Of crosses.....
Sacrifices......
Sin.....
is not very Vogue in some churches today....
This time of year, we may see Christmas pageant's and plays...
There will be live nativity scenes with men and animals....a woman and a baby....
There will be serenity and peace around such...
We will gaze upon them while singing "Away in a manger".....having warm and wonderful thoughts about that night long ago in Bethlehem....
But we must never forget that Jesus came to die.
It was for me....
It was for you that he mounted that cross and gave himself up to nail, hammer, whip and fist....
But the ultimate pain and agony came when the sin of the world was laid upon his shoulders.
There on that cross, Jesus' heavenly Father looked away from that scene.....
Hung between heaven and earth, Jesus was forsaken because of the sin that he bore.
God the Father poured out every bit of wrath to assuage the anger and hatred for sin....He poured it out on His only Son....That baby born in a stable, laid in a manger.....
But the story doesn't end there.
It only transition's....
Resurrection! Breaking the power of death, hell and the grave, Jesus stepped out of that tomb and ascended back to heaven.....
To sit at the right hand of His Father, as Lord and Savior.
Whenever I think of the baby Jesus, I can't help but get excited about who this child would become.
The very conqueror of Satan himself.
The power of sin IS broken.
Jesus is the POWER that we look for in this dark life of sin/addiction.
Praise God! This can be the first real Christmas for you if you don't know this Jesus as your Lord and Savior.
Talk to Him....Just talk...
Confess (tell Him about) your sin.....
Do you feel that brokenness inside...that emptiness....?
Jesus is wanting to fill you up with His Spirit...
Ask Him to forgive you of your sin......
And believe that you are....Scripture says that "IF we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
Acknowledge Jesus as your Lord and Savior...(Turn will and life over to Him)
If you do this.....
You have just received the greatest Christmas gift ever!
New life.....
Find you a Bible (One that you can understand) and begin reading in the gospel of John.
and get ready for a real Christmas!!!
God on you....
mb
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