Christmas 2020
By Bobby Baker in Christmas, thoughts on December 18, 2020
This Christmas will be a bit different than in the past. 2020 has been a long and difficult year. But one of the things that make Christmas ‘Christmas’ is the hope that it signifies. Christmas does not promise that 2021 will be a better year or that the world will be a better place in the years to come. What Christmas does promise is that God is not oblivious to our plight here on this earth. But we need to realize that we have a problem much worse than COVID or masks or social distancing. Our problem is sin. We all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23). The standard that God has set before us is absolute perfection. If we are to stand before a holy God some day we must do so completely sinless. There is one slight problem though…we cannot meet this requirement. No matter how “good” we may think we are, we still far short of God’s standard. God’s Word tells us that all of our good deeds are like soiled, dirty garments to God (Isa. 64:6). We are not sinners because we sin. Rather, we sin because we are sinners. Since we cannot meet God’s standard of perfection, is there any hope for us? Or will we suffer the wrath of God for eternity in hell (This is what we all deserve)?
Enter Christmas. Or rather, enter God! At Christmas we do not celebrate the birth of a child. We celebrate the incarnation of God. The Son of God, the second Person of the Trinity, took upon Himself human flesh. He came to do for us what we could not do for ourselves. But understand, Jesus did not come to make us better people. He came to make us into a new creation (2 Corin. 5:17). He took upon Himself our sin. He became sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. If we would escape the judgment of God we must, by faith, trust in Jesus for our salvation. We must not trust in our good works, or our church affiliation, or anything or anyone else. Faith alone in Christ alone brings justification from God.
Christmas reminds us that though we are dead in trespasses and sins (Eph. 2:1). Though we are by nature children of wrath and enemies of God (Rom. 5:10), God Himself took the initiative and sent His only Son into the world. And through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ we can be reconciled to God. This is what Christmas is all about.
Christmas is about hope: Romans 8:24 “For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees?”
Christmas is about love: Romans 5:8 “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Christmas is about Jesus: Galatians 4:4-6 “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”
In Christ’s love,
Pastor Bobby