A LINCOLN DAILY NEWS.COM PUBLICATION
2015 Worship Guide
Page 23
was born to them. God looked upon all
mankind, saw us in our need, and responded
with the most practical gift ever given.
When informing Joseph of Mary’s pregnancy
and God’s plan, the angel said to him, “…
you are to give Him the name Jesus, because
He will save His people from their sins”. His
people’s sins. Every man’s sin. Every one of
us, Jew or Gentile, religious or pagan, was
lost, hopeless, and dying in our sin. There
was no way out. All of our manmade efforts
to bring about forgiveness and reconciliation
were useless. Sin was going to destroy us.
All of us. But, then God said “NO”. His love
would not let it happen. So, He put His plan
for reconciliation into action. He sent to us His
one and only Son, who Himself would know no
sin, to take our sin, to forgive us our sin, and to
receive the punishment for our sin, in our place.
God, by His own requirement, sentenced His
own perfect son to death, so that we - everyone
– the unworthy, the broken and the sinful, could
have the gift of life. What else could any man
ask for? What more practical gift could any
man ever get? What better reason could any
man have to celebrate? We can all rejoice in
the words brought by the prophet Isaiah: “The
punishment that brought us peace was upon
Him, and by His wounds we are healed.”.
Christmas isn’t for everyone? I feel sad for
that little boy. Not because he misses out on
the presents, and singing, and decorations, and
traditions. And not because he is Jewish, either,
because as such he will grow to anticipate
and cherish some beautiful traditions and
celebrations. No, I feel sad for him because
Christmas is for him. Christ was born for him.
Christ took his sin, and died for him, too. Yes,
Christmas is his holiday. Yet, he may grow up
never knowing it!
