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12/25 Reading Portions: 2 Chronicles 30; Revelation 16; Zechariah 12-13:1; John 15
John 15:13
”Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”
CHRISTMAS
Surely, the Lord Jesus wasn’t born on December 25th. In fact, He wasn’t born at this time of year since we know that the shepherds were…
…out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. Luke 2:8
Otherwise, there would have been no room not only at the inn, but no room also in the manger. The cave (manger) would have been filled with flocks and herds. At Calvary Baptist Church in Ninilchik, we don’t celebrate “Christmas.” We do, however, celebrate Christ’s incarnation every day. Therefore, when the 25th day of December roles by, it may give us an opportunity to share the truth of Christ’s gospel with an unbelieving soul so they might celebrate and surrender to the holy God who became Man to save wretched sinners like you and me. That’s why Jesus came. By His own words, Jesus explained why He, God, became a Man:
“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:10
While Luke 19 tells us why Jesus came, today’s verse tells us how Jesus came. Through His substitutionary, atoning death upon Calvary’s cross, Jesus came in love, with love, and by love. This verse of Scripture is so well known to all of us of the Father’s love, spoken by the Lord Jesus during that famous episode of Nic at Night:
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16
From our verse today, on the night He was betrayed, the Lord Jesus gives us greater insights into this love― of His very own eternal love for us as the Son of God. No one has, does, or will ever display or demonstrate a greater love than Christ’s love for us. He suffered the eternal and infinite wrath of God for sins He did not commit, paying a debt He did not owe, for a debt we owe and cannot possibly pay. He died a true death as a flesh and bone Man, which could only be accomplished through Christ’s incarnation. Jesus shed His precious, untainted blood for our forgiveness of sins (Heb 9:23). And in that same crucified body, He rose victoriously after three days and nights in the heart of the earth. This is the greatest love. Hallelujah! What a great Love! What a loving Savior!
Rudolph, “Frosty,” “Jingle Bells”
Are songs that will not bless;
‘Twas on the tree Christ suffer’d hell,
He was born to suffer death.
Praise God - "He suffered the eternal and infinite wrath of God for sins He did not commit, paying a debt He did not owe, for a debt we owe and cannot possibly pay."