Christmas - That We Might Have Life预览

DAY 7, DEVOTION 7

The Purpose of Christmas

What is the purpose of Christmas? Certainly, Jesus the Christ, our Savior, is born. But why do we humans need a Savior? And why does it have to be Jesus?

Why does humanity need a Savior? Because we have fallen from grace. God created the first man Adam, upright and good. As the head of all mankind, Adam’s actions were embedded in all humans that followed. The first man’s primary decision that impacted you and me was to deliberately disobey God’s one and only express command. Due to Adam’s sin, mankind now has a natural bent to step away from his created destiny, reflecting God’s glory, in order to turn inward and please ourselves alone. Since sin removes us from the source of all life - God, death reigns over all the earth. As the old Christmas hymn ‘O Holy Night’ goes, “Long lay the world in sin and error pining.…”

Everyone dies. Mankind needs to be saved from our spiritual condemnation and physical death caused by sin. But why does our Savior have to be Jesus? In order to solve our sin and death problem we need a new nature, one that is righteous, which we cannot provide for ourselves. We need a new heart, to be recreated from the inside out. This recreation requires the power of the One who created (Hebrews 1:2) and sustains (Colossians 1:17-18) the world and humanity with His very word (John 1:1-5).

And one holy night over 2000 years ago, it was revealed that the “Word became flesh, and dwelt among us” (John 1:14a), with the precise purpose of recreating humanity and reconciling us with Himself, so that we might live again. This meant that Jesus, God in the flesh, needed to become the new Adam, a second fountainhead for a renewed humanity. His act of obedience, death on a cross (Philippians 2:8) in our place, would defeat the power of Adam’s original act of sin which resulted in death (Romans 5:19). Jesus’ death allows those who repent and submit to God to be acquitted from the judgment of spiritual condemnation (Romans 5:17) and opt into a new creation (2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:1). This is the gift given by God to humanity, renewed hope of life everlasting.

Christmas represents every person’s only hope all year long. No matter our sin, our trials, our actions or our circumstances, we can be saved. Not just physically but spiritually, since Christ is born and “died for our sins… and that He was raised on the third day” (1 Corinthians 15:3-5). Our God is powerful enough to care for and save each person’s whole self and has promised to meet all our needs as a good father. He never promised an easy life. But He did promise us abundant life, as God defines abundant, if we submit to Him and sacrificially love our neighbor.

Extend the meaning of Christmas to everyone you meet this season. For as the hymn ‘O Holy Night’ continues, “A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices, for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.” Let us continue together, with thankfulness, in awe, to invite the world to join us in fallen man’s only appropriate response to a Savior so strong— “Fall on your knees.”

Questions for Reflection

Everyone dies. Both a physical death and a spiritual death. Jesus came to give us life. But why do we need a Savior?

And why must that Savior be Jesus?

How can we bring life to others this Christmas season?

Father God,

Thank you for life. Life through newborn babies and life through Jesus. Give us the courage and strength to submit to you and love our neighbors so that we might find the promised abundant life. Thank you for your hope. Thank you for Jesus, our Savior.

Amen.