Question: Why did Jesus come to earth on that first Christmas Day?
Answer: So that we might be adopted into God’s family.
We started this year’s Christmas countdown by referencing ‘Oliver!’, and suggesting that the titular orphan might have been better advised to ask ‘who’ rather than ‘where’ is love, since it is the God who is love who, on that first Christmas Day, sent Jesus, his only son, into the world in order that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. [John 3:16]
And now, on this the last day of Advent, we return to the musical, that for those of a certain age, was once as much a part of Christmas as were overcooked Brussel sprouts, to recall how an all singing, all dancing, Artful Dodger tunefully urges the aforementioned orphan to ‘consider himself one of the family’.
Because by happy coincidence, that is what God, having adopted us into his family, now urges us to do – for, as we’re told in Galatians 4:4-5 ‘God sent forth his Son…so that we might receive adoption as sons.’
So how can I say again what, let’s face it, I’ve said in pretty much every post I’ve posted so far this month. Not that I’m ashamed to have attempted to daily share with you the gospel, since the good news of Jesus Christ really is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. [Romans 1:16]
Well seeing that tomorrow is Christmas Day, let’s remind ourselves that the reason we give each other presents is to reflect the amazing gift that God has given us.
God is holy and his law is good. We, on the other hand are not good and have broken all of God’s commands. Regrettably we have fallen short of God’s glorious perfection and, since the wages of sin is death, it follows that we all deserve to die.
But…
‘…the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ [Romans 6:23].
And what an inexpressible gift it is [2 Corinthians 9:15]. Because, as a direct result of the forgiveness that is ours as a result of Jesus death on the cross, not only do we receive everlasting life, we get to enjoy it as God’s adopted children who, as co-heirs with Christ [Romans 8:17], have an inheritance, kept for us in heaven, that is ‘imperishable, undefined and unfading’ [1 Peter 1:4].
And it’s all because of the great love with which God loved us – the love by which, whilst we were still sinners, Christ died for us [Romans 5:8], the love by which God showed us the immeasurable riches of his grace, [Ephesians 2:7], and the love by which we now get to call the creator of the universe, Dad. [Romans 8:15]
Our salvation and subsequent adoption, therefore, does not come to us by our keeping the law, irrespective of how great our efforts to do so might be. On the contrary, we are saved by grace alone – the unmerited kindness of God shown to his much loved children.
Which is why the angels who appeared over the Bethlehem hillside on that first Christmas night, rather than giving the shepherds instructions on how to live better lives, proclaimed to them instead the gloriously good news of the birth of a Saviour.
Because before it is anything else, Christianity is all about receiving the free gift of salvation. Whilst it’s true that our behaviour will undoubtedly need to change, as we seek to reflect the values of our new new family, it is nonetheless the gospel of Jesus Christ that we must first hear and believe.
Inevitably, over the coming weeks, months and years, we will hear more bad news, be it reported through the media or brought to us by those who we are close to – and for some of us that news will be particularly heavy to bear. Even so, we must not forget the good news of what God has already done for us through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.
Because, ‘when the cares of our hearts are many’, it is knowing God’s love for us ‘that will cheer our souls’. It is in knowing that ‘in Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself [2 Corinthians 5:19] that will allow us to ‘rejoice in our sufferings’. And it is knowing the good news of the gospel that will sustain us through even the most difficult times that may yet come our way.
Come what may, as God’s children we have an eternal future to look forward to, one that is far better than we could ever ask for or imagine – because that is what Jesus came to guarantee when he came to earth on that first Christmas Day.
So if you’re not yet a part of God’s family, perhaps it’s time for you to be ‘reviewing the situation’ and receiving the spirit of adoption by which we can know that we are God’s children. [Romans 8:15].
Because if you do you’ll discover another reason why Jesus came to earth on that first Christmas Day – and that reason is you!
And with that I’ll finish this years countdown – save, that is, for thanking all of you who have read this far for taking the time to do so, and wishing you all, irrespective of how much or how little you’ve agreed with what I’ve said, a very merry Christmas.
To reveal the secrets concealed behind door 24 of last year’s Christmas Countdown, click here.
Some musings 