POINT

From page A5

good people – if the good in our lives outweighs the bad, then God is satisfied, and heaven is our eternal home. A couple of thousand years before Jesus was born, God gave us Moses and the ten commandments.

If humanity secured salvation by following the ten commandments more often than not, then why Christmas?

Others tend to believe religion or religious rituals, such as baptism, bring eternal life. In the New Testament, Paul outlines baptism, the church, and the exercise of religion. If salvation came through the church or any ceremony within the church, why not have Paul explain it and leave it at that? Why Christmas?

Why did the angel tell Joseph, Jesus was God, and He was coming to save people from their sins if either a good or religious life could save us instead?

Again, why Christmas?

We have Christmas because neither our good works nor our religion can save our souls.

When John the Baptist first sees Jesus by the Sea of Galilee. He cries out, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).

Roughly thirty years before this event is when the angel told Joseph the Babe would take away sins. Now John is adding a dynamic. John adds the “how” Jesus was to do this – Jesus is the Lamb.

Everyone within earshot of John understood what he meant by using the word “Lamb” – Jesus was God’s sin sacrifice.

Why do we have Christmas? We have Christmas for Jesus to be born so that He could later die for our sins – the Lamb of God; The Heavenly Father’s sacrifice for us.

Isaiah 53:5-6 “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

The famous saying is, “Jesus is the reason for the season.” However, that is inaccurate. We are the reason for the season. John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.“ The Lamb has come – have a very merry Christmas!

Tim “ Preacher” Johnson is Pastor of Countryside Baptist Church in Parke County Indiana. Email: preacherspoint@ gmail. com