It's that time of the year again...Christmas! Christmas reminds us of
cakes, carols, Santa, Christmas trees, gifts, parties and a lot of fun. But amidst all
the festivities, the message of Christmas is often overshadowed. The message of
Christmas is one of hope and peace in a broken world where we have lost all
hopes. There is a lot of suffering around the world today especially with wars,
terrorism, natural calamities, outbreak of fatal diseases and so on. World
leaders are rallying to organize numerous summits to resolve conflicts and
ensure peace and stability. But the sad part is that there is no peace in the
world even today.
2016 years
ago, there appeared a man on the face of this earth. He was no ordinary person
but He chose to be born in a manger and into a very poor family. There were
ordinary people all around Him although He was the King of Kings. He was raised
in Nazareth, one of the poorest villages of Palestine. Christmas marks the
celebration of the birth of this man who impacted world history like none
other, the Lord Jesus Christ. But in fact more than his birth, it is His life
that has to be celebrated. His life was a gift to mankind, the greatest gift
that is also free to receive. This is something that we miss out in the midst
of this celebration. He willingly gave up his life so that man could save
himself.
There is a
problem more complex than terrorism or AIDS. This is something that cannot be
solved by world leaders or the leading intellectuals of this world. The problem is SIN. The problem is complex because it is
inherent in the very nature of man. We have a nature that is inherently sinful
by birth. There is no medicine that can cure it. There is no treatment that can
give remedy to this problem. The Bible says that “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God”. Does it mean that all mankind
are sinners?. How can that be reasonable?. A flashback in time can trace the
root cause. It is an undeniable fact that we trace our ancestry to a single
family on this earth, the family of Adam and Eve who were the first created
human beings on this earth. However, the disobedience of Adam and Eve to God’s command marked the entry of sin into this world and all generations on
this earth following them have this very nature. How do we know this? We do not
learn to lie, cheat or disobey but these have been our inherent natures that
came out so very naturally.
As a result
of our sinful nature, we are incapable of overcoming sin on our own abilities.
Mankind has been trying so many different things to atone for the sins that
pricked their God given conscience. Some say good works can save us from sin,
Some say going to a pilgrimage place can forgive sins. But it still doesn’t clear man’s conscience of the guilt of sin.
However, the good news is that somebody already paid the punishment of our
sins. Jesus was the only person born on this earth with a mission to die for
the sins of mankind. Do you know that he took the most gruesome punishment that
ever existed on the face of this earth? Have you ever wondered why he had to
die that cruel death? The cross is a picture of the punishment for all of
mankind’s sins taken upon one person, Jesus
Christ. There are animal sacrifices that people offer even today to please God
and ask for forgiveness of sins. But they fail to realize that there was a
great sacrifice already offered by one person on their behalf. We do not have
to do any karma to compensate for our sins. We have to repent of our sins and believe that
sacrifice that of Jesus Christ who died
for our sins on the cross of Calvary.
Jesus did
not establish a religion. He established a way to God, a way which was previously closed
because of sin. The only way we can reach God today is not with our good works
but through the atonement of His Son, Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ said, “ I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except
through me”. Jesus offers us peace that can
never be lost. There is a hope after death for those who believe in Jesus for
He said, “ Those who believe in me though he
may die shall live”. May we not miss out on the most
important person of Christmas, Jesus Christ.
Jesus said “ Come unto me all who are weary and
heavy laden and I will give you rest”. Jesus can heal any broken heart. He can
restore any grave sinner. There is hope amidst all the chaos and troubles of
this world. A hope of life through the Lord Jesus Christ. May God help you to
receive this free gift of life. God bless you all.
