A few blogs back, I mentioned that next month will mark 10 years since this blog first began. In light of this, I decided to commemorate this today by sharing portions of the first Christmas blog I ever wrote. In 2011, on Christmas Day, I wrote a blog that I titled “The most wonderful message of all.” Here’s what I wrote:
‘I’ve noticed that during this time of the year there are
some who will bring up the fact that Jesus was born, but they don’t like to
focus on how this same Jesus didn’t stay a baby; He actually grew up. The reality is Jesus lived the greatest life
that anyone has ever lived. According to
the Bible, He lived a perfect and sinless life that you and I could never live
(John 8:46; 1 Peter 2:21-22). He
preached the most remarkable sermons (Matthew 5-7 is devoted exclusively to one
of His sermons), He performed amazing miracles, He loved people even if they
were social outcasts, and on and on we could go. Ultimately Jesus died a bloody, torturous
death by crucifixion, and three days later He literally and bodily rose from
the grave, victorious over death itself!
Near the end of the book of John, the writer makes this
statement, “Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his
disciples, which are not recorded in this book.
But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the
Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:30-31). When John says “believe” he doesn’t mean to
give some kind of intellectual, cognitive assent or agreement. It’s not like if someone were to ask you “do
you believe the sky is blue?” The
word “believe” in the Bible means to trust or to rely upon.
You see, we are all sinners in need of a Savior. Not one of us can claim to be without sin (1
John 1:8). This sin separates us from
God and excludes us from entrance to Heaven.
We needed someone to atone for our sins.
Jesus Christ, God incarnate – God in human flesh – was the only one
qualified to pay the price for our sins.
On the cross, He actually cried out, “it is finished” (John 19:30),
meaning, “the price of sin has fully and
finally been paid.” After all this,
Jesus confirmed that His death wasn’t just any other death by rising from the
dead! He had predicted numerous times
that He was going die, but that wasn’t going to be the end, He was going to be
resurrected (see Matthew 16:21 for just one example). He showed that He was no liar, because it all
happened just as He said it would.
Therefore, all anyone has to do is put their faith and trust in Jesus –
to believe on Him.
I invite you to read these familiar words as if for the
first time: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that
whoever believes (notice that word “believe”) in him shall not perish, but have
eternal life” (John 3:16)…So today, Christmas Day 2011, it is a great time to
ask this question: have you ever believed on the Lord Jesus Christ? Have you ever put your faith and trust in Him
to save you? If not, don’t delay; please
do it now. You may think I’m
exaggerating, but the honest truth is it would be the privilege of my life
if just one person saw their need for Jesus, and through simple words in a
blog, someone chose to put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ. That’s my earnest hope and my sincere prayer.’
My life has changed so much since I wrote that first
Christmas blog. In many ways I’m not
even the same person I was when I first penned those words. I thought about detailing some of the
differences from Christmas back then to Christmas now. Maybe I will do so down the road; but for
today, my point is, even with all of the contrasts, one thing remains the same:
I am still passionate about people beginning a life-giving relationship with
God. I would still consider it a privilege
if someone said yes to the Lord’s salvation invitation today.
Kevin
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