When Adam sinned and death came into the world, man was not left without hope. "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." God, from the foundation of the world already had a plan to bring him back to Eden or (heaven) and into fellowship with his creator. There would have to be a man born with the nature of God and the flesh of man who would live a sinless life in order to satisfy the requirements of a holy God. He would then have to demonstrate the character of God and sacrifice his own life to redeem mankind from their sinful nature and restore relationship with god. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth."
So, from the fall of Adam until the Birth of Jesus, many prophecies were made concerning his birth and death. Since it was prophesied that the Savior would come through Abraham and the Jews, Satan tried many times to annihilate their race because of what God said concerning him in the garden of Eden. "And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel."
Note, that the term "seed of the woman" reveals that God's plan of redemption would require a "virgin birth." Prophets hundreds of years before Jesus was born were telling many things about the coming savior, even where he would be born. "But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting." The prophet Isaiah had even more to say about Jesus Christ, the son of the living God. "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever." This was the hope of the Jews for centuries.
But, the nation of Israel would reject their Savior and put him to death. Isaiah wrote long before he was born how he would die. "Who hath believed our report and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. (This is a reference to how he handled himself before the Jewish leaders, who arrested him and Pilate, who presided over his trial.)
He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? For he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death (This refers to how he was buried in the borrowed tomb of a rich man) ; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors (This showed how he would be crucified between two thieves) ; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors." (When Jesus was crucified, the Roman soldiers cast lots for his clothing)
But, this would usher in the greatest hope of all. God would sacrifice his son to redeem, not only the Jew, but the whole world., In the book of John, God says "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."
Everyone can receive forgiveness of sins and eternal life through Jesus Christ and his finished work on the cross. Salvation is by grace through faith in him and not by good works or anything else we can do. The only one who can condemn you to hell is you. The book of Romans shows us exactly how to be saved. "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." You must acknowledge that you are a sinner with no hope, except through Jesus Christ. "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one. There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one."For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."
So, here's what's required of anyone who wants to be saved by faith in the blood of Jesus Christ. "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." Now you have hope, not only in this life, but in the life to come. The choice is yours receive the hope of Christmas or remain in your sins and parish with no hope. I hope you choose hope and live. Merry Christmas!
