December 6
O holy night, the stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of our dear Saviour’s birth;
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
’Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.*
What is striking from this Christmas Carol is the phrase, “the weary world rejoices.” If anything is true, we live in a weary world—weary of conflict, weary of war, weary of turmoil, and weary of the brokenness that humans experience. The Advent story chronicles the coming of Jesus Christ to earth. For a people born in sin and for a world damaged by sin, there is a reason to rejoice. Hope lay in a manger.
We must understand that the inescapable condition of sin infects every single human being and has scarred every aspect of creation. The only solution is divine intervention through a Savior. The only suitable Savior righteous enough to accomplish the task is God Himself.
In Matthew, Joseph is given two names for Mary’s baby. The first name is Jesus, which means God saves, “for he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). The second name refers to Isaiah 7:14, “they shall call his name Immanuel.” Immanuel means “God with us” (Matthew 1:23). God kept a promise. God took on human flesh so that he might become one of us, a human being.
Jesus is God with us. Far from reducing Christ to a nativity set, “God with us” leads to an awe of the person of Jesus and his cross-work. Let this truth create space in the busyness of the season, and dwell on the person of Jesus Christ, who is both God and Man, who offered himself as the Lamb without blemish on a cross.
Through trust in Jesus Christ, the believer is forgiven. Christians celebrate a gift far more precious than anything money can buy. The hope of the universe is Jesus Christ.
“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:20-21 NIV
Jesus is God and man. He came to save or rescue people from their sins through his death and resurrection. He came to serve. He came to die as a substitute for our sins. He came to rescue and to restore. He came to seek and to save the lost. He came to forgive. Anyone who turns to Christ and trusts in his cross work alone will be forgiven. Jesus is our hope, and Hope lay in a manger.
You are invited to Northmoreland Baptist Church as we discover GOOD TIDINGS OF COMFORT AND JOY:
December 7: Good Tidings...According to Matthew
December 14: Good Tidings...According to Luke
December 21: Good Tidings...According to John
Join us for our Christmas Eve Candlelight Service (December 24) at 6:00 pm.
The Sunday Worship Service begins at 10:00 am. Join us!