Christmas for Mankind

Food for thought. How important is Christmas for mankind? What if Christmas did not happen to us? Let us start this season with these basic questions.

For me Christmas is a sequential series of events which took place 2000 years ago on one cold winter. It all started when angel Gabriel visited Mary who was betrothed to Joseph, telling her that she would be conceived in her womb with the help of the Holy Spirit and would give birth to a Son. Joseph who was unaware of the reason behind Mary’s conception, wanted to divorce her quietly. One night, Gabriel appears to Joseph in a dream and tells him not to leave Mary for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. Joseph woke up and did as Gabriel commanded. He took Mary as his wife, but kept her as a virgin until she had given birth to a Son.

While Mary was still carrying the child in her womb and when the days were near, Joseph had to go to Bethlehem his hometown to register for the census. He had to register Mary, who was betrothed to him and the child too. Joseph by walk, took Mary on a donkey to Bethlehem. On that night when they reached Bethlehem, the time came for Mary to give birth to her Son. Since there was no room for them in the inn, she gives birth to her Son in a stable and kept the baby in a manger.

In the meantime, Gabriel visits few shepherds near Bethlehem and asks them to visit the new born baby. The shepherds search their way to the stable and worships the new born baby. While this happens, we notice three wise men guided by a star, checks with King Herod about the new born king of Jews. After the shepherds, the three wise men reaches the stable on their camels. They fall down on their knees, worship the child and offers their precious gifts to the baby.

While the new born baby in the manger, Mary and Joseph on the either side of the manger, with all kinds of cattle around, the shepherds and wise men worshiping the new born baby, group of angels around flapping their wings and Gabriel on the top.

We are very familiar with this scene, which is called the Nativity and it fills our hearts with Christmas joy. Whenever it’s Christmas, this picture comes into our mind. On the other side, it’s time for us to think, what if Christmas is more than that. What is the intention behind Christmas? Was it really essential?

While we all celebrate the same Christmas, the same way every year, what difference is a Christmas making in your life? It indeed makes a difference not only in your life but for the whole mankind for the right reasons. Let us go through Matt 1:21 which says “…She will give birth to a Son, and you shall name Him Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” Gabriel tells Joseph the reason why he had to name his son Jesus. The meaning of the name Jesus is “The Lord is salvation” and He was named Jesus because He will save His people from their sins.

And while Gabriel was proclaiming the good news to the shepherds, it was clearly mentioned that “For this day … there has been born for you a Savior”.

So this is what Gabriel was trying convey. A Savior has been is born for the mankind, whose name is Jesus, which means “The Lord is salvation” and He will save His people from their sins. This clearly reveals us the mission and purpose of Christmas.

God formed man in his own image out of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. God created a beautiful garden with plants, trees, rivers and settled man in there. God asked him to take care of the garden. God gave man dominion over his creation and asked him to take control of it. God had a good relation with man, in such a way that, God gave man the opportunity to name every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air and when God found that it was not good for man to be alone, he created a suitable helper, the women. God blessed them to be fruitful. Man was created with particular standards, with an intention to have a good relation with God. Above all, God created man with a peculiar gift, which differs man from the creation. It’s the free will.

God provided everything which was necessary for man. A living soul, place to live, food to eat, work to do, dominion over the creation and above all, free will. God liked spending time with man and it was just like a mother taking care of their children. Man was naked and there was no reason for him and her to be ashamed or embarrassed of.

Man was made to be with God. But it was unfortunate when man chose to disobey the one command God gave (Gen 2:16, 17 & 3:6), even after God mentioned the consequences “for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” Though it was Satan who lured man into disobeying God, man had to face the consequences, for the choice he made.

Death came upon man. Man lost his perfection and fell short of the standards to be with God, which was the sole reason of his existence. Man became impure with sin and darkness. Sin separated man from God. Isaiah 59:2 "But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear."  When they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden, for the first time, man and his wife kept themselves hidden from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden and man was scared and unwilling to meet his Creator, the Lord God (Gen 3:8-10). God had to expel man from the garden he built for man. Man had to till and cultivate the ground from which he was taken. He had to sweat to earn his bread. While God gave man dominion, after being tempted by Satan and disobeying God, man became a slave to sin.

Life became death. Man became unworthy to be with God. Man lost his rightful place and lost God’s provision too. The person who once had authority, now became a slave. The rightful heir, the legal children felt ashamed and were afraid to meet their Creator. Things changed upside-down.

What exactly is Sin? Sin is lawlessness. Law represents the moral purity of Gods nature. 1 John 3:4 “Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.” Breaking God’s commandment is sin. The moment he ate the fruit, he committed sin.

Our God is a loving and just God. Though He loves us, He cannot withstand sin and cannot let it go unpunished. Exo 34:6, 7. Then the Lord passed by in front of him (Moses), and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth (faithfulness); keeping mercy and lovingkindness for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin; but He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, …”

In Gen 2:17 God clearly said that, if you break the commandment, you will certainly die. Death came from sin. Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death…” It’s more than man returning back to dust. Its spiritual death.

Because Adam sinned, death came upon all mankind. Mankind inherited the sinful nature and as a result, death and punishment was upon him. Romans 5:12 “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned”. We are all by birth, sinners Psalm 51:5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. The moment when man decided to disobey Gods commandment, that’s the start of the fall of mankind. Rom 3:23 “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God”.  

Gen 6:6, 7. The Lord saw that the wickedness (depravity) of man was great on the earth, and that every imagination or intent of the thoughts of his heart were only evil continually. The Lord regretted that He had made mankind on the earth, and He was [deeply] grieved in His heart.

Genesis 6:12. God looked on the earth, and behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth.

Mark 7:21. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders...

After reading the above verses, do you think we are anything less than that? Doesn’t these verses actually portray the present situation of mankind? Look at the world around you. Day by day, the human morals and values are dipping. To this present day, we have people dying lack of food and water, infections and diseases. Children are dying of malnutrition. The levels of child trafficking, sexual violence and early marriages tend to rise significantly. Many underage girls were sold into child marriage in exchange for livestock. The rate of conflicts between countries, tribal fights, drug trafficking and communal riots are increasing. It’s all about authority and possession. Refugee camps are expanding. People are being forced to flee their homes, because of wars. The number of conflict-displaced people in the world today has been recorded as never before. Human intensions have become evil and there is no room for compassion, love and fear of God. 

How safe are our children in the present world? Our children are being abused. Drugs trafficking at schools. Children and youngsters are getting exposed to suicide games and killing themselves. School massacres. We lie, cheat, rob and kill. We shoot videos of people bleeding on roads. We kill each other in the name of faith. People are lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure.

We live a materialistic and self-centered life. It’s all about me and mine. We don’t fear God and we don’t have time for God. We removed God out of our schools, offices and from our homes. We commit sin in our thoughts, sight and deeds. Sin cannot be categorized into small sin or big sin. Sin is sin. We have become slaves to the god of this world (Satan) and our hearts are filled with darkness. For out of the heart come evil thoughts and plans, murders, adulteries, sexual immoralities, thefts, false testimonies, slanders (verbal abuse, irreverent speech, blaspheming). 1 John 1:8 “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us”. One day we have to pay the penalty for the sinful deeds we have done.

Examine yourself. How is your life? You’ll find yourself as a slave to your flesh. It’s full of dark shades. Even if you assume, that you never sinned your entire life and have done all good deeds, the Bible clearly mentions “For we all have become like one who is [ceremonially] unclean [like a leper], And all our deeds of righteousness are like filthy rags…” Isaiah 64:6.

Now, since it’s clearly evident that we are full of sinful deeds, do you think the sin’s we commit are going to be gone unpunished? God will by no means leave the guilty unpunished. We have death (spiritual death) and punishment upon us for the sin’s we have committed. We are cursed. We have brought judgement upon us and God alone, who gave the law, is the Judge (James 4:12). Lord God would execute the judgement. Mankind is going to be judged according to what they have done (Rev 20:13).

Lord God is the King of the kingdom of heaven. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. He is our Creator and our Master. He would sit on the throne of His glory and pass His judgement. The Lord will be revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels.

The cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. We are sent into the eternal fire. This would be eternal punishment.

We reject God and His law. There is no fear of God in us. We never bothered the absence of God in our life.  We did not bother people dying from starvation. We ignored people in help. We did not cloth the needy. We backed off helping the homeless. God will punish us with everlasting destruction and shut us out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might.

They are people who think, their sinful deeds are gone unnoticed. Their condemnation was predicted long ago, for they take advantage of God’s grace and do whatever they want, denying our only Master. The people who follow the corrupt desire of the flesh and despise authority, will be punished on the day of Judgement.

Jude wanted to remind us that, although we are fully informed once for all, that the Lord, after saving a people out of the land of Egypt, subsequently destroyed those who did not believe. The people of Sodom and Gomorrah and the adjacent cities were kept in eternal chains under darkness, for the gross immoral freedom and unnatural vice and sensual perversity. They are exhibited as an example in undergoing the punishment of everlasting fire.

It will be at the end of the age; God will send His angels to separate the wicked … and throw the wicked into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping [over sorrow and pain] and grinding of teeth [over distress and anger]. Our souls will be decayed. We will be forsaken and abandoned to the realm of the dead.

This is the fate of Mankind. Because of all the sins he committed, mankind is sent to hell, where their worm that feeds on the dead does not die, and the fire is not put out. It’s a place of rejection, a place of everlasting destruction and eternal punishment. Into the fiery lake of burning sulfur and the eternal fire prepared for sinners.  It’s a complete shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might.

(References Rev 21:1-8, Matt 25:31-46, Psalm 9:16-17, 2 Thessalonians 1:1-10, Matt 13:47-50, Acts 2:14-36, Mark 9:38-47, Jude 1:1-7, Matt 13:36-43, 2 Peter 2:4-10, Rev 20:13-14, Ezekiel 18:20)

We really need to understand the gravity of our situation. For all the sins we have done against God, we will be tormented. We all will be pushed into a lake of burning sulfur which would be like a furnace of fire. Worms would be feeding on you and the fire will not be put out. There will be weeping, sorrow and everlasting pain. People would grind their teeth over distress and anger. We can’t even imagine the torment and pain we will be going through. Let us try this, it would be better for us if a heavy milestone were hung around our neck and thrown into the sea.

It’s a tragic and painful ending.

I am God’s creation, made to be with Him in His kingdom. I was blessed to be fruitful, instead I walked against God and lead myself into punishment for the deeds I have done. God gave me dominion over his creation and I did not understand the privilege given to me. I’m ashamed that I selected temptation over the word of God. Word of God gives life, temptation brings death. Most of all, temptation separated me from my Creator. I wish I had a chance to fix things. I wish things were like before with my Creator. I repent the decision I made and if I am given a chance to choose again, I would choose the relation with God than temptation.

Take a silent moment. Close your eyes, think with your heart and ask yourself. Are you doing the right thing with the life gifted to you? The darkness in your heart, the false thoughts and wrong things you’ve done, the people you’ve hurt, the crimes you committed. All these are taking you nowhere but to a place where you don’t belong (...eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. Matt 25:41). 

Its high time mankind needs to realize their true state. Only repentance wouldn’t save us from our sinful deeds. Is there any hope for mankind? Even if mankind finds a slightest chance of hope which might give him a second chance, would there be anything more valuable and important than that? A second chance to make things right, a second chance to start over with my Creator.

That hope is Christmas. When there was no hope for the redemption for our sinful deeds, that was when we received the good news of great joy, that, there has been born for us a Savior, who is Christ the Lord, the Messiah. He will be called Immanuel (God with us), Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. He will be a ruler, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times. Our Creator Himself came down to save us from our sins. 

As we discussed, when Adam and Eve sinned against God, they brought death and punishment upon them. But God did not leave them without any hope. God promised that He would send a Savior to defeat the serpent (Gen 3:15). From Adam to Jesus, God sent prophets to mankind, warning them of sin’s punishment and foretelling the coming Messiah, the promised deliverer. Prophet Isaiah describes Him in Isaiah 53:1-12. When John the Baptist saw Jesus coming to him, he said, Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29).

The Savior who would atone for the sins of His people. 'For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.' (Leviticus 17:11). Jesus is the sacrifice of atonement for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2). A sacrifice had to be made for our sins. An innocent, spotless and sinless blood had to be shed. That’s the only way our sins can be redeemed. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood... (Romans 3:25).

In order to save us, Jesus took all our sinful deeds upon his shoulders and faced all the punishment, torment, pain and insult for all the evil we did. His blood was pure and sinless. Jesus died on the cross for our sins. He had to become sin in order to save us.  Christ was without sin, but for our sake God made him share our sin in order that in union with him we might share the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Because Jesus died on the cross, shedding His precious blood for us, our sins are forgiven. Jesus loved us and hence He took all our pain upon Him and died on cross as a criminal. Though we did not care Him, he cared for us. We love because he first loved us (1 John 4:19). Jesus saved us from death and is ready to give us life. He saved us from hell and ready to make us heirs of His kingdom.

On the third day after Jesus was buried, God resurrected Him from death and after few days Jesus ascended to heaven. He clearly mentioned that, in his Father’s house there are many rooms and He would prepare a place for us too. And when the time is at hand, He would come again and take us to himself, so that we can stay along with Him (John 14:2-3).    

Now let’s try to conclude our situation. We were once Gods children. We disobeyed God commandment and sinned against Him. Because of our sinful nature, we brought judgment upon us. And the judgement is eternal punishment and eternal fire in hell. We realize that our sins are taking to us nowhere but to hell. Our repentance only is not going help us. The price has to be paid.

That’s when Jesus descended as a man, took all our sins upon him and faced the punishment and torment on our behalf. Jesus paid the price. His precious blood cleansed us. Our sins are gone and we are a clean slate now. We are back to our previous state as when God created us. Right now God is making a place for us, so that we can stay along with Him, just like we were before sin entered the world. We would be living in the presence of our Creator. Things would come back to normal. Death changes to life. Our destination has changed from hell to heaven. No more eternal punishment. This is the good news of great joy for all mankind.

Since everything is done and made ready for us, all we have to do is, repent for the sins we have done, ask God for forgiveness and accept Jesus as our personal Savior. "To the Lord our God belong mercy and lovingkindness and forgiveness..." (Daniel 9:9). For He is a kind and loving God. He is ready to forgive us and will remember our sins no more. If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just [true to His own nature and promises], and will forgive our sins and cleanse us continually from all unrighteousness [our wrongdoing, everything not in conformity with His will and purpose] (1 John 1:9). "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more." (Hebrews 8:12).  

Jesus showed us the way to heaven. Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me (John 14:6). It is only through Jesus we have salvation. He is our redeemer and our Savior. Jesus is the light of the world (John 8:12). When we were in sin and our hearts were filled with darkness, Jesus came as light into our lives. Jesus is our only hope. In Him we can find forgiveness and He is ready to accept us as his children.

Every person who accepts Jesus as his personal Savior, is a new creation. Therefore if anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life] (2 Cor 5:17).

John the Baptist says "But to as many as did receive and welcome Him, He gave the right [the authority, the privilege] to become children of God..." (John 1:12). We are no more slaves to our flesh, or to Satan or to this world. We are a new creation and the children of God. We can earn back the legal rights of God’s sons and daughters, which was once lost at the Garden of Eden, but only through Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the only hope placed before mankind. The only hope placed before you and me. Prophet Isaiah says “And in His name the Gentiles (all the nations of the world) will hope [with confidence].” (Matt 12:21). With our repentance and faith on Jesus, He promises us to reinstate our previous glory. It’s a safe and sure promises. Let us understand that God cannot lie (Heb 6:18). Let us hold on firmly to the hope, that one day we will meet our Creator, because that is what God promised us and we can trust God to keep his promises (Heb 10:23). We have this hope as an anchor for our lives (Heb 6:19).

We need to realize that God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ gave us new life by raising Jesus Christ from death. This fills us with a living hope that we look forward to possess the rich blessings that God kept for us in heaven (Peter 1:3, 4).

When God made his promise to Abraham, “I promise you that I will bless you and give you many descendants.” Abraham was patient, and so he received what God had promised (Heb 6:13-15). You need to be patient, in order to do the will of God and receive what he promises (Heb 10:36).

Hope was given to us, immediately after we sinned in Gen 3:15. That hope was strengthened and proclaimed by the prophets. Unfortunately, very few people like Zechariah and Elizabeth, Joseph and Mary, Simeon the devout and Anna the widow hanged onto that hope. Their hope was strong and they were confident about the Savior. They knew they were living in darkness and sin. They were looking forward for the light and Savior of the world. That hope become true and is the reason why we celebrate the birth of Jesus. Very few people understood their true state and were eagerly waiting for the Messiah.

The End of times and the Day of the Lord is coming nearer. Even after receiving the good news of great joy that Jesus is our Salvation, if you purposely keep on sinning, there will be no longer any sacrifice that will take away your sins. Instead all that is left, is to wait in fear for the coming Judgement and the fierce fire which will destroy those who oppose God (Heb 10:26, 27).

Let us not despise the Son of God. Let us not treat the blood of God’s covenant which purifies us from our sins as a cheap thing. Let us not insult the Spirit of grace and hope.

Christmas opened for us a new way, a living way through the body of the new born baby. A way which is not walked once in a year, but it’s walked every day, throughout your life. We carry His birth (Christmas), His crucifixion (Good Friday), His resurrection (Easter) and every part of His life in our hearts every day in our lives till the day we meet Him on His Day.

 Now is your time to make a choice. It was once, you made a wrong choice and suffered. You learnt from your mistakes. God is giving you a second chance. Make a wise choice. Sin or righteousness. Death or life. Darkness or light. Punishment or reward. Slave or the rightful heir. Hell or heaven. When this choice was given to Joshua, he declared “as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15). He chose to serve the Living God.

What is your choice?