Enter Christ: Promise given, promise kept
Dear Osmond Community,
As you know, Christmastime is the season of gift-giving and is practiced and celebrated because of the gift mankind received in our Savior Jesus Christ, God became flesh.
Some do not know this of course, as they have not received the gift of faith in the Holy Waters of Baptism. They only know of this gift-giving from what they have experienced. It is just what you do. You give gifts and you receive them. Sometimes you get what was promised, sometimes you do not.
Enter Jesus Christ. Thankfully, the Word of God gifted mankind with not only what they were wanting, but what they needed, by the humbling of Himself to become one of His creation in the form of a man. Without this gift, our faults and failures would forever stain us and there would be no chance to do better. Even if we were to finally give
the perfect gift, it would be measured by all the bad gifts we have ever given and would be like a drop of water into an ocean. Our only chance at redemption is that our bad choices are forgiven and we are given a do-over, a new chance to do better.
Enter Jesus Christ. Not only humbling Himself in the form of a man, as a baby born in that stable in Bethlehem, but growing to live the life we live, only without sin. What makes this gift so amazing is not that we did not know it was coming. We did. This was promised that the Messiah would come. We were surprised when it came, but God had promised, and now He was acting. Promise given, promise kept. He gave His life, His perfect life, to become the ultimate sacrifice for our sins, receiving the punishment that we justly deserve on that bloody cross. His gift was that He came to do as He had promised. He was born to die – for our sins, to defeat sin, death, and the devil once and for all, so that we may receive Him in the gift of forgiveness every day, and every Sunday on our Altars.
Enter Jesus Christ. He is not done giving. He has promised, and He delivers on His promises. He delivers forgiveness, peace, salvation, eternal life as gifts to His believers each and every Sunday as we wait for His final gift, His return, the Day when He comes again in the flesh, as promised, to restore us
in a New Heaven and a New Earth without sin and the sorrows and disappointments associated with it.
Until then, we wait to open that perfect gift to come with eager expectation. We know that He will do as He has promised, just like He did on that winter night in Bethlehem, to be God with us, our Immanuel. Promises given and promises kept.
A Blessed and Merry Christmas to you all!
