|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
In most of the Christian world, the birth of Jesus is celebrated every December 25. Christ’s birth is the absolute moment in history when God ushered in His act of redemption for humankind.
For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. (Colossians 2: 9-10 NIV)
The incarnation of the God-man fulfilled the Creator’s promise to send a Savior who would be a solution to the world’s problems. Jesus Christ came to restore what was lost in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve succumbed to Satan’s trickery.
Mary’s baby boy started His life in a manger. He was born to restore the relationship between God and humankind.
Jesus demonstrated what reconciliation, a relationship with the Almighty, looks like in real terms, through His message and ministry.
The Gospel’s narratives are filled with examples of Christ mingling with the poor and outcast, bringing hope to the discouraged. He also brought healing and made whole those who were broken in body, mind, and spirit.
Jesus would say to them, “your sins are forgiven,” meaning, “your relationship with God has been restored.” Without the forgiveness of sin, no one will see Heaven.
Christ’s Earthly ministry lasted a little over three decades. Then, after raising up disciples to carry on His teachings, Christ gave humanity the ultimate sacrifice — He subjected Himself to the anguishing pain of crucifixion. In the last moments of Jesus’s earthly life, he cried out: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing,” (Luke 23:34 NIV).
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. (John 3:16-17 NIV)
Jesus’s perfect blood gave Jews and Gentiles alike the opportunity to dwell with the Lord for eternity. His blood washes away believers’ sins. Once they have accepted Him as their Lord and Savior, they are no longer orphans but children of God.
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV)
Written by Cathy Milne-Ware
Sources:
Food for the Hungry: God’s Story: History is About Reconciliation; by Wendy McMahan
Theology and Culture: Reconciliation In The Manger; by Bishop Philip Wright
Juli Camarin: Jesus Reconciled Us To God Through His Blood—Colossians 1:19-20
Mississippi Conference of the United Methodist Church: Christ’s birth offers reconciliation to God; by Rev. Gareth Scott
Featured and Top Image Courtesy of manuela ideacrea’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of Jimmy Smith’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License