The story of Christmas is a story of humility. A young, unmarried Jewish girl faced the prospect of being ostracized in her community. She was pregnant. Would her betrothed still consent to marry her? What would her family say? What would her friends say?

A census was commanded by Caesar Augustus for the little country. Each had to return to his ancestral home for the count. At nine months pregnant, Mary and her betrothed, Joseph made the long, arduous journey to Bethlehem. As they entered the little village, they longed for a place to lay their weary bodies. However, as they sought a room at an inn, there was none available – only a stable.

The entry of Mary’s son into the world did not occur in a mansion with servants in attendance but in a place prepared for cows and donkeys. Her son did not have a soft feathered bed to greet him but a feeding trough.

The prophet Isaiah had proclaimed more than seven hundred years earlier:

“To us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government will be upon his shoulder,
and his name will be called ‘Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.’”

His birth and life were unique, and so was His death.

To understand the total forgiveness of sins, we have to understand the value of the person Who sacrificed Himself on the cross for us.

He was the only man in history who willingly died to make the payment for ALL of your sins, so that you would never have to be punished by God.

This carpenter from an obscure village in Galilee?  This man with no earthly possessions?  Who would believe it?  Yet many have, and do. As the Bible states of Him:

“...who though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,
but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
And being found in human form He humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross.

Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

This is the story of Christmas: God the Son coming down to earth as a little baby and taking on Himself the sins of the world. So that you can experience life abundantly and eternally in heaven with Him.

I hope you remember these things as we celebrate
The Reason for the Season