We, as humans, have a problem. We have a really big problem.
This problem affects every human who has, or will ever live. We all have the same problem.
The problem is very serious. It affects us every single day. It affects the way we think, the way we behave and the way we interact with other people. It affects how we think about and prepare for the future. It affects everything.
Our problem is that we are separated from God.
God is the eternal being who always has and always will exist. He needs nothing outside of Himself. However, He wanted to love people and be loved by them. He didn’t need this. He wanted to love and be loved for His pleasure and purpose only.
So He created the universe and everything in it. He created it all just the way He wanted and pronounced it good. He created two people, a man and a woman. God loved the man and woman, dwelt and interacted with them.
But one day, the woman and the man did something which God has instructed them to not do. This forever broke the relationship between God and humans.
God is perfect in every way and because He is, He cannot be in the presence of that which is not perfect. Since the woman and the man disobeyed God, unfortunately they were no longer perfect, as God made them.
So God left their presence. He no longer dwelt with them or interacted with them. There was not a huge separation between them. There was nothing the people could, or ever can do to repair this broken relationship.
But God still loves people. That didn’t change. He still wants to love them and be loved by them. But, He couldn’t because of the people’s disobedience.
So God did something about it. He did something to repair the relationship. He did something to restore the fellowship between Himself and people.
God sent His Son into the world He created to actually become part of the creation. His Son, we call Jesus, entered His creation as a baby.
This gift of a baby, who was God coming into His creation, is what is celebrated this time of year. We celebrate God’s action on our behalf to restore the broken relationship.
This whole story is recorded for us by the eyewitnesses who experienced the whole thing first hand. They have testified to what they saw, heard, felt and experienced. There are more people who witnessed, and more evidence of the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus than of any crime committed which goes to trial.
The following is an excerpt from the testimony by John, someone who witnessed and experienced the life of Jesus:
In the beginning was the Word, [that which came forth from God], and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.
Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made.
In Him was life, and that life was the light of men.
The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.
The Word became flesh, [entered this world as a baby], and lived among us.
We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have touched – this we testify concerning the Word of life.
The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life which was with the Father and has come to us.
He was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the people did not recognize Him.
Yet, to all who receive, [recognize and accept], Him, to those who believe in His name, He gives the right to become children of God.
We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you may have fellowship with us.
Jesus went on to live and die to pay the penalty for our crime against God, of our disobedience. A penalty for a crime of which He was not guilty. The penalty for the crime each of us commits against God every single day of our lives.
We can rejoice because Jesus came, lived and paid our penalty so we can be restored to God. The penalty has been paid. All you have to do is accept the gift. A priceless gift. An eternal gift.
Merry Christmas, Jack
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excerpt from John and 1 John, NIV translation. Some minor additions for clarification have been made to the text.