Greatest Story Ever Told...part 1

Well, its that time of year again. With black Friday and cyber Monday past us, maybe we all can really focus on the real meaning behind Christmas; the birth of Jesus Christ. Many of us know about his birth, but the story of Christmas dates back to a time long before the birth of Christ.  It dates back to the beginning of creation.  Man was birthed into this world, born from God's own hands, his greatest and most cherished creation.  Out of his great love for man, gave him all he ever needed in life, placed him in a garden with total fulfillment, even the freedom to choose his own way.   But man, out of his own naivety and selfishness chose to listen to the temptation from the Satan, the evil one, to learn about sin after being warned by God not to.

God's heart was broken.  He had given man all could ever want and need, but man wanted something more, something that would scar him and all his offspring for many generations to come.  He banished man out of his perfect garden forever, to live a life of hardship and death.  In doing so, he also spoke to the evil one saying that though mankind will suffer from Satan's victory in the garden, their will be a time when he will tempt one that will not fall into his trap, but will instead be victorious over sin and death, and he will be crushed for all of eternity.
         Genesis 3:15 
And I will put enmity between you and the woman,and between your offspring and hershe will crush your head, and you will strike his heel. 

God knew mankind would be in need of such a savior to separate sin's power from man so that he could join back with him the love relationship he intended from the start.  In the face to temptation, man would need a strict set of rules in order to develop the discipline necessary to remain close to him and apart from sin.  Yet, God knew man would ultimately fail at this, which was why he warned him from the start.  Time and time again, God would redeem man and draw close to his people because he loved them.  But, time and time again God would have to punish him as mankind failed to obey his tenants.  This was not out of cruelty, but out of tough love as a loving father would punish a child to teach him lessons in life.  God needed to show man that sin has serious consequences.  He established this covenant with the people called Israel, which means 'struggles with God'.

God knew sin would separate man from Him and that man would be in need of a savior.  Someone to stand in between the power of sin and man to break its bondage and reunite God and man again in a deep and intimate love relationship for eternity.  God also knew that only he had this power to destroy this sin.  So God came down to earth, as a man named Jesus, sinless before the world, and showed the world how much God loved his creation.  Many followed Jesus as he taught about God's kingdom.  He healed the sick, and loved the unloveable.  His coming into the world marked a new covenant with man, one based on faith and grace, and not works and deeds.

Though he had many followers, God was again rejected and Jesus was put on trial and sentenced to die by public crucifixion.  Though he was sinless and had the power to stop it, he sacrificed his own life for man's sins, to die a horrible death.  But in doing so he defeated death, and the power of the evil one was destroyed.  Three days later, he rose from the grave, the power of sin and death would finally be lifted from mankind, and he would live and reign together with God forever.  He ascended into heaven, but sent the holy spirit after him to be our guide, Christ's voice in our lives.

That is why we celebrate Christmas.  Because of Christ's work on the cross, we can be reunited with God and can live in right standing with him.   Because of Christ, the purpose of our creation is made full, we are whole again, and God can once again manifest His glory into a broken and painful world.
 But, just as mankind was given a choice in the garden, we too, must choose to except this truth or reject it.

But this exceptance is more than just words.  To truly except and believe that Christ came as God and died for our sins is to live out our lives as a response to this great love offering from God.  But it is not our works that save us.  We are saved by grace alone, by faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone.   God still abhors sin, and we must respond to it by believing that Christ  has the power to destroy it.  Trust in his power to better love God, and love others.  Until next time.