Good News!

 

The good news is simple: Jesus came, God in human flesh to become one of us so He could pay our penalty for sin and set us free from its power — death and separation from God — and restore to us what God desires for us — eternal life with Him.

But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. (Hebrews 2:9)

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)

For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. (Romans 6:5)

We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. (Romans 6:9)

It began in a manger, no, it began long ago in the heart of God who sees the end and the beginning. As God says, “He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of us.” (1 Peter 1:20)

God knew sin would happen, what it would do, and that He would need to come and rescue us. How He did it is a surprise — for He came as a baby, born in a lowly place and greeted by shepherds.

The ending was on a hill, actually that ending only started there where He was crucified, but He did not end His journey from heaven to us when He finished that payment of our penalty. Three days in a tomb and He walked out of it, ate and hugged His followers, then rose from this place and went to where He is now, until that day when He returns — to finalize the work He began — to make all things right — sin and death will be no more.

I am overwhelmed with awe at the wonder of God who did this and who gifted us with Himself. May the joy of Jesus fill our hearts as we celebrate what we usually consider as the beginning of the story and as we look forward to the finale — even though there is no ending — because we have forever with Him . . .