John 1:18 tells us Jesus came to the earth so that He might “make known” to us who God really is. In the miracles Jesus worked, we see that God is both powerful and compassionate. In the sermons Jesus preached, we hear that He is wise and authoritative. In the interactions with His disciples, we see Jesus’ interest in growing us and using us in His work. Truly, we learn so much about who God is by looking at Jesus’ life.
However, Jesus did not just come to explain God to people . . . He also came to reconcile people to God. In Mark 10:45 Jesus says, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give His live as a ransom for many.” By giving His life for the many, Jesus offered Himself as a sacrifice on the cross to pay the ransom (the price necessary to set sinners like you and me free).
The death Jesus died was not a tragic accident, but an intentional plan. Jesus was not the victim of a vicious plan by the Jewish leaders or Roman officials. If Jesus had wanted to avoid the cross, He could have. The fact that He can do anything, knows everything, and can go anywhere meant that at any time Jesus could have slain His enemies, outsmarted their plans, or avoided their pursuit. But He chooses not to do that. Instead, knowing what lay before Him, He walked directly to Jerusalem to offer His life on the cross (see Mathew 16:21-23, 17:22-23, 20:17-19).
Early in Jesus’ public ministry, His cousin John the Baptist said of Jesus, “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29)” What John was proclaiming was that Jesus’ death would pay the penalty for sin . . . like an animal sacrifice symbolized in Old Testament times. Jesus was born to die in our place. As Philippians 2:8 says, “And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” That is the full extent of the incarnation.
His death was a beautiful expression of God’s love for us. “But God demonstrates His own love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) Will we receive His love this Christmas? This gift has been specially given just for us. Don’t return or reject this, but embrace our loving God and allow His death to be the ransom to pay the penalty our sins deserve.
Today’s song is Andrew Peterson’s “Behold the Lamb” . . . the title song of an original collection of Christmas tunes Peterson and friends have performed live for the past 20 years. It points to Jesus’ sacrificial death that takes away our sins.
Behold the Lamb
We who walk in darkness deep now see the light of morning
The mighty God, the Prince of Peace, A child to us is born!
Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away our sin
Behold the Lamb of God, the life and light of men
Behold the Lamb of God, who died and rose again
Behold the Lamb of God who comes to take away our sin
Wanderers in the wilderness o hear a voice is crying,
“Prepare a way, make straight the path, your King has come to die”
Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away our sin
Behold the Lamb of God, the life and light of men
Behold the Lamb of God, who died and rose again
Behold the Lamb of God who comes to take away our sin
Son of God, Emmanuel
Son of Man, We praise you
Behold the Lamb, the hope of man
Behold the Lamb!
Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away our sin
Behold the Lamb of God, the life and light of men
Behold the Lamb of God, who died and rose again
Behold the Lamb of God who comes to take away our sin
To access all 31 days of the “Christmas Light” Devotional, click here.
To access the “Christmas Light” Playlist: