A great Christmas verse, three incomparable gifts
For many people, Christmas is primarily a time of physical consumption, fueling our bodies with lots of food and other material goods. May this also be a season of much-needed spiritual consumption, feeding our souls with the Word of God and the great truths about the purpose of Christ’s birth.
To that end, here is one of my favorite Christmas verses:
“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that while he was rich, for love of you he became poor, so that you might be enriched by his poverty” (2 Corinthians 8:9).
Because Jesus left the glory of heaven, we have received spiritual gifts of infinite value.
Forgiveness of our sins, rescue from God’s wrath, and reconciliation with the Father: these are just three of the many gifts that come from the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, all because He was willing and able to enter our world. The eternal God took on human flesh so that we could receive what only He can provide.
forgiveness of our sins
Zechariah prophesied that his son John the Baptist would “go before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, by the tender mercy of our God” (Luke 1:76-77 ).
To forgive means to cancel a debt. Because of our sin, we have a debt so great that we can never pay it off. That is why Jesus taught us to ask God to “Forgive our debts(Matthew 6:12). Because God the Son was born to die for those sins, God the Father can cancel that debt. For those who believe in Jesus as their Debt Payer, a sufficient payment is made in his name and the books of heaven now proclaim “Paid in Full.” Glory to God in the highest for this act of tender mercy!
Rescue from the Wrath of God
After learning that Maria was pregnant (and knowing that he was not the father), Joseph seriously considered divorcing his future wife. But God intervened and spoke to him through an angel who told him: “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to receive Mary as your wife, for what is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son.” . , and you will call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from his sins ”(Matthew 1: 20-21).
The name “Jesus” literally means “the Lord saves/rescues/delivers”. The Apostle John wrote that “The Father has sent his Son that he might be the Savior of the world” (1 John 4:14), and Jesus is the only one who can save us. of our sins. To be saved means to be rescued from imminent and catastrophic danger. Our repeated violations of God’s law have put us in a very dangerous situation: God’s holiness demands compliance with his perfect standard, and we fall short. We didn’t even get close. In the court of heaven we are guilty as charged, and the sentence has already been announced: “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). Our depravity deserves God’s just punishment of death: physical death (see Hebrews 9:27), spiritual death (separation from God, see Isaiah 59:2), and the second death (the eternal lake of fire, see Revelation 21:8). ) .
Yes, this is the plight of the unbelieving sinner. But in his infinite wisdom, God has provided a way to be rescued from his wrath. Because Jesus suffered and died on the cross, he received the punishment that we deserved. He took our place; He made our time; He paid our fine. And because of his death, those who trust in Christ alone for salvation are miraculously delivered from hellfire. “Thank God for the indescribable gift of him!” (2 Corinthians 9:15).
Reconciliation with the Father
Our relationship with God has been messed up since day one. We are born in sin, separated from God from the moment we were conceived. We do not become sinners because we have sinned. Rather, we sin because we are sinners, rotten to the core from the start. What child needs to be trained in injustice?
And so we are in desperate need of reconciliation. And for reconciliation to happen, we need a Mediator, an intermediary, someone who can bridge the infinite gulf that exists between us and God. Who is worthy of such a task? Only Jesus! “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all men” (1 Timothy 2:5). Because He is both Man and God, Jesus can stand in the gap. Once again, we see that the death of Christ is the basis of the work of Christ. Because he “gave himself a ransom,” he pays the price that frees us from the slavery of sin and all its devastating consequences both in this life and in the next.
The Apostle Paul perfectly explains this reconciliation: “For if, being enemies of God, we were reconciled to him by the death of his Son, how much more, being reconciled, shall we be saved by his life! so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation” (Romans 5:10-11).
We were enemies of God. But through the death of his Son, we have been reconciled to the Father and now “have peace with God” (Romans 5:1). We are no longer distanced or alienated from God. We can come into his presence, clothed in the righteousness of Christ. We have unlimited access to our Creator, who reigns from the throne of grace, because Jesus “suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, to bring you to God” (1 Peter 3:18).
Rejoice, Christian, rejoice! God the Son left the riches of heaven to fill us with the invaluable and incomparable gifts of his grace. Forgiveness of sins, rescue from God’s wrath and reconciliation with the Father await you on Christmas Day and forever.