What is the Christmas Message?

A student attended a Christmas Carol service. Over coffee afterwards he was talking with the minister who had explained the Christian message in his sermon. The student asked,

“Why do you Christians have such a confidence that you have been accepted by God?”

The minister drew a picture of a ladder going upwards and explained,

“Most people rely on themselves to try and please God, their spirituality, their behaviour and their badge of religion. People are trying to work their way up the ladder. The Bible teaches that none us us can ever be good enough for God, however hard we try. We all sin, and because God is just he cannot simply overlook our rejection of him. The problem is not hopeless however.

God has solved it. In Jesus Christ, God came down the ladder to us and by dying for us on that cross he paid the price that my judgement deserves, he took my sin on himself so that I can become acceptable to God. A person who lives in Christ now has heaven as their home.”

What does it mean to ‘Live in Christ?’

A lady who had recently become a Christian was in a local hospice with advanced cancer. A Christian visitor wanted to reassure her that because she was now living in Christ she need not fear dying. He picked up a Bible and said, ‘Let this Bible represent Jesus.’ He then wrote her name on a piece of paper and placed this into the Bible and closed it, adding,

“Because you are now living in Christ, God does not see your sin but the perfection of Jesus in whom you are resting. Furthermore, Jesus has now gone to heaven and so, because you are in him, you will be with him too. This is the Christian gospel or good news”

Before he left he read to her a small passage from the Bible that was so reassuring to her,

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1)”

This is why Jesus came down at Christmas.