Claim Your Victory … Accept Your Free Gift!

The prophecy of Jesus, His birth, His life – such a grand planned out scheme. Angels proclaiming, wise men traveling from afar, and shepherds rejoicing that they were included in this blessed event. Joseph being protective and caring over his new little family. Mary living in faith of what an angel had told her would happen and contemplating the sheer miracle of birth itself. I love listening to the Christmas story every year. The simplicity and beauty. The humility in which Jesus was born and yet the grandeur of the master plan God had set in motion before humanity. And then, there is the question of Why? The answer is in stark contrast to the glory of Jesus’ birth – He came to die. Let’s look at this further.

Colossians 1:15-16a says, “Christ is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created…” So God gave us an opportunity to connect with Him through sending us His Son, Jesus – a living and breathing baby and yet had been with God in creating everything we are and see here on this earth and beyond. Philippians 2:7-8 tells us that “He made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness and being found in appearance as a man…” Verse 8 continues giving us the reason for Christmas – “He humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross!” Jesus left the presence of God and entered our world, our lives and then not only loved, healed, taught, fed and brought back to life, He knowingly submitted to dying as someone cursed – the most degrading kind of execution that could be inflicted on a person.

Again, the question of why? Romans 5:8 clearly tells us that “God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” You see, there is a gap between us and God. That gap was created by our sin. Romans 6:23 says “the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” So we are a sinful people. That sin deserves death. But God so loved us that He sent Jesus here on this earth – to save us, to pay the price for all our sins. I Peter 2:24 tells us that “Jesus personally carried the load of our sins in his own body when He died on the cross so that we can be finished with sin and live a life of righteousness.” This verse gives us the victory over the slavery of sin and its bondage. Your sins have been paid for. You can walk in freedom that only Jesus can give you – and that precious freedom is your belief in Jesus – His Father, His birth, life and death and then ultimately, His coming back to life after three days in a grave. Victory over death. Victory over sin. Victory over life. Romans 10:9 gives you the key to this freedom; “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Claim your victory. Accept your free gift. Hallelujah!!! Merry Christmas!