The Punished
“Remember this December, that love weighs more than gold.”
As the gentle glow of Christmas lights fills our homes and the joyful songs of the season echo in our hearts, we are reminded of the profound mystery that is the birth of the saviour. Yet, as we marvel at the infant in the manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes and cradled in love, let our hearts not be tricked into not believing what it means to all of human kind.The birth of Christ was not merely the arrival of a child but the incarnation of God’s redemptive plan, a plan to bridge the chasm that sin had carved between humanity and our Creator. Jesus, the spotless Lamb of God, came into the world to bear the burden of our transgressions, to carry the weight of our iniquities, and to face the punishment that was ours by right. The most selling book in the world has a line that says, He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds we are healed”. These were the words spoken before the birth of a baby, not your average baby announcement news, which also makes sense because this wasn’t your average baby.
At Christmas, we celebrate the humility of Christ’s coming, but we cannot separate the cradle from the cross. The baby born in Bethlehem would one day walk the road to Calvary. He took upon Himself the punishment we deserved, enduring suffering, rejection, and death so that we might be reconciled to God. His sacrifice was not forced upon Him but freely given, motivated by a love so vast and unsearchable that it defies comprehension. The beauty of it is that he chose to do it, nobody will do such a thing for anybody which is all the more reason why this season is meaningful, there is a sense of power in this season, a power that can only come from a love so great, a love so pure, a love so gentle, a love so divine.
This Christmas, let our hearts overflow with gratitude for the Savior who was born to bear the penalty of sin. Let us kneel not only at the manger but also at the foot of the cross, where the fullness of God’s love was revealed. For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given, and through Him, we are made whole. He completes us, he gives us the purpose for which we were created.
Where Are You Christmas? You drank the cup of suffering