Christmas is the ultimate love story. It is a story about Love coming down that starts in the heart of God. “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” (John 3:16). Later, in his first epistle, John would tell us, “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:9-10). Christmas begins with God – not humanity. Because Christmas is first and foremost about God’s actions in reconciling the world to Himself. The whole reason for Christ’s coming was that. 2 Corinthians 5:19 tells us that “God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself…” Christmas reminds us that God took the initiative to restore a broken relationship between humanity and Himself, a relationship damaged by sin – that the problem Christ came to fix was a broken relationship. You say, “I thought sin was the problem.” YES! Sin is the reason the relationship was broken in the first place and sin is what keeps us separated from our Heavenly Father. And sin is a problem that humans can’t fix on their own. So, the Father sent the Son to do the work that will bring about reconciliation which tells us that God is the one who reconciles. Biblical Reconciliation is not humans working their way back to God; it is God acting to bring people back to Himself: “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself.” God removes the barrier of sin by His own action. Reconciliation happens through Christ and only through Christ. According to the New Testament: Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection was the answer to the sin problem. Christ bears the consequences of sin so forgiveness can be offered. This makes peace possible between God and humanity. Reconciliation does not mean God ignores sin; it means sin was dealt with ON THE CROSS so that our relationship with God can be restored. When Paul writes that He was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself – He meant the whole entire world BUT that does not mean everyone is automatically saved. What it does mean is that God’s reconciling work is offered to each and every one of us! FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON THAT WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM…” God offers a restored relationship to everyone, and anyone can respond by faith, repent of their sins, receive forgiveness, be justified by faith, regenerated by the Holy Spirit and reconciled to the Father. The Manger points to the Cross. The Cross was the Price of Reconciliation. Jesus came to die so that we could enjoy a relationship with Him that will stretch into the endless ages of eternity.
