Hope in Christ Jesus
The Covid 19 Pandemic has affected families indiscriminately across the world. Failure to heed safety and health guidelines have caused deaths and or temporary separation among families and love ones. It was thought the virus would be short-lived; however, it has proven to be of unknown duration. Experts across the world are desperately striving to create a vaccine that will eradicate and prevent the spread of this virus. In the meantime, we are to continue practicing safety and health guidelines.
Life is not certain. There is no guarantee we will see a loved one the next day! Death itself is certain and will come to everyone! But life and death is not the totality of our story! Over two thousand years ago, in a stable in Bethlehem, our Savior Jesus the Christ was born. His birth set the course of victory over everything life and death presents. His birth began the progression from the cradle to the grave, to his reappearance after His rising from the grave to His ascension to the Right hand of the Father – all foretold and prophesied in the Bible. Jesus Christ, who always was, became man to take on the sins of the world. His birth, death and resurrection secured payment in full for mankind’s sin. No malady, no virus, no repented sin is beyond the stretch of His redemption plan.
Man will sin and death will come to man; but through Christ Jesus, sin and death are defeated! In “times of old” people depended on sacrifices of goats, lambs and such for forgiveness of their sins and to make peace with God. These sacrifices had to be made over and over and over again! Jesus Christ is Yeshua the awaited Messiah – The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Those who accept His sacrificial death (only required once) after the physical death, will spiritually forever and will be united with love ones who passed from this earth having accepted Jesus The Savior. Those who fail to accept His sacrifice will die and die over and over and over again in Hell.
All Pandemics will eventually come to an end. All the frailties of man will end, even heaven and earth will pass away but the Word of God wherein we are told of the past and foretold the future will not pass away. (Luke 21:33).
As we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, we thank God for His love, His mercy and His Grace which he bestowed on us sealing our eternal salvation through the Saviors birth in Bethlehem, Matthew 2:1; His death at Calvary (Golgotha), Luke 23:33, His Resurrection from the grave, Luke 24:2-3 and His Ascension to Heaven, Acts 1:9-11.
Our time here on earth is less than a trickle in eternity. As we live through the coming burdens of this world, we can do so looking forward in victory because we know God has overcome the world – it is indeed finished!
Jesus is our vaccine against the penalty of sin and the eternal separation from our Lord. Receive, believe and rejoice.
Victory
James S. Hall Jr., Pastor
