The problems are sin and Satan—and I despise them both because of the destruction they cause in my life and in the lives of people I love.
If I were ever tempted to believe sin and Satan did not exist, I’d need only look in my heart tonight — evil thoughts, anger, a lack of gratitude, self-pity, and a heaping platter of selfishness. Humans are unique among all the living creatures on the earth — we are the only beings capable of sinful thoughts and behavior. Though your cat seems to spend his days and nights plotting your demise, he is merely acting on his instincts; his behaviors are value-neutral because he answers only to nature’s call. Our yellow lab, bred to remain in the wolf-pup stage throughout his adult life, mimics a primal survival urge when he pounces on the dachshund and scraps with the elderly chow mix. However, he doesn’t “choose” between right and wrong. Animals, unlike humans, will never give an account of themselves to God (Romans 14:12).
Hark! The herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King;
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!”
This is the problem that the Baby Jesus in the manger came to earth to solve—reconciling lost sinners to the perfect, holy God who created them. The fourth verse of “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” tells of the first prophecy in the Bible related to Jesus:
Rise, the woman’s conqu’ring Seed,
Bruise in us the serpent’s head.
Now display Thy saving power,
Ruined nature now restore;
In Genesis 3, Eve, the second human created by God, was tempted by Satan (in the form of a serpent), ate the fruit God said not to eat, and then gave some to her husband, who also ate. God banished the couple from the garden and cursed the serpent:
I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel. (Genesis 3:15)
God said there would be, from that day on, strife between the serpent and man, a war between Good and Evil. But He also foretold a day in the future when the serpent—Satan—would try to kill Jesus, the offspring of the woman. On the cross, Jesus would be bruised, but would ultimately prevail when he conquered death by rising from the dead three days later.
Now display Thy saving power,
Ruined nature now restore;
The “offspring of the virgin’s womb” who never once sinned — never killed, lied, or stole and never once acted selfishly or had a lustful thought — would be the perfect, unblemished lamb to take the punishment for our sins, overcoming our “ruined nature”:
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:6)
In God’s magnificent plan, Jesus, son of God, co-equal with God, became one of us. God became flesh. He was born of a virgin and made a way for us to be forgiven:
For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. (Colossians 1:19)
In Acts 3, Peter explained it beautifully when he gave a sermon outside the temple in Jerusalem:
But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled. Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago. (Acts 3:19-21)
John explained that those who believe and trust in what Christ accomplished on the cross have nothing to fear: “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:12-13, ESV)
Amid the decorations and music and stress and in-laws, we are reminded that this is the real gift of Christmas — God became one of us so that we could be reconciled to God. God and sinners reconciled. Amid the chaos of Christmas and our lives, we can have peace with God (Romans 5:1), and as a result, “times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.”
The true gift of Christmas is peace and refreshment from God’s own hand. And he alone is worthy of our worship. I hope He also speaks into your life today and that you have a blessed and joyous Christmas!