God Did More

“It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.”  You can almost hear the echo from your childhood when playing hide-and-seek. “Ready or not, here I come.”  And indeed, Christmas will be here in just a little over three weeks.

            Christmas is such an integral part of the Christian faith.  The teaching is that God stepped into His world in a brand new way.  “God became flesh and dwelt among us.” And that changes everything.

            Consider all the things that God did do, or could have done, to reach us.  He could have sent messengers.  Indeed He did send the prophets. He could have written us messages. And that is what the Old Testament is.  He could have created a world that reflects His glory, and again He did just that.

            But at the right time, and in the right way, God did even more. He came to earth and lived a perfect sinless life so that we might know that it could be done. But then He did more. He walked up that lonely hill to the cross and died in our place.  He bore our sins when we could carry them no longer.

            The message of Christmas is a wonderful message. God entered our world as had never been done before.  But the message of Christmas must always be coupled with that of Easter. Let us always remember this truth. Baby Jesus was born in Bethlehem for this very purpose; to die in our place for the forgiveness of sin.

            As you celebrate the baby in the manger, remember to worship the Savior on the cross. And always recognize that the cross was not the final word. No, Jesus is alive! And because He is alive, we too can live. To God be the glory.