Reconciled (Advent Day 22)

Reconciled
 
“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinner, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now recieved reconciliation.” Romans 5:8-11
 
At Christmas we remember the birth of Christ. But we need to remember why He was born. We need to remember why He came. Christ, the baby in a manger, was born to die. The cross was not something that happened to happen as a result of things going wrong for Jesus. The cross was always the plan.
 
From before the start Jesus knew He would die for us. He knew He would take our sin upon His shoulders as He hung on the old rugged cross. He knew the only way the sin curse could be broken was by the shedding of His innocent blood. Before He came Jesus knew what lay ahead for Him. He knew where His earthly journey that began that first Christmas night in a manger in a town that had no room for Him was ultimately headed.
 
It started in a manger and ended on a cross at Calvary. The light of the world by darkness slain. Yet we know that is not the end of the story! On the third day He rose victorious over the grave. Death had not got the victory. Sin had lost its sting. The serpent had been crushed. And the way was made for God and sinners to be reconciled.
 
At Christmas we remember the birth of Christ. He came into the world to save sinners like me and you. All sin and fall short of God’s glory, and we all need a Saviour. All of us fall for Satan’s deception and so all of us need a serpent crusher. None of us can reconcile ourselves with God. Our sin cuts us off from Him. But heaven is touching earth, reaching out to us, reaching out to the outcasts, the rejects, the failures, the ‘lost causes’, the screw-ups, the addicts, the depressed, the marginalised, the hopeless, the abusers, the swindlers, the charlots, all of us. Reaching out in love, taking the nails for us. Being pierced for our transgressions. Jesus, the baby born to die. Jesus, the King who humbled himself to die a criminal’s death and rose to life again, dying for us while we were still far off from God. Through His blood all who call on the name of the Lord will be justified. Not by what we do. Not because of who we are. Not because of our own righteousness. Not because we go to the right church. Our justification is a gift from God, freely given to all who believe. The greatest gift of all, given for all mankind – Jesus the Saviour born to die for us. “Good news of great joy for everyone!” (Luke 2:10). Rejoice! Don’t keep the news to yourself this Christmas. Shout it loud. Declare it boldly. Tell it from the mountains and let the whole world know that our God saves!
Heaven touched earth so God and sinner could be reconciled, and now man can live forevermore, because of Christmas day.