When it comes to God’s ‘big’ people there is none bigger than Jesus. And that is why the Bible is centred on him and why the western calendar measures time based on his life.
Jesus is …
• … the son of Adam who alone displayed true humanity and thus was enabled to break the first Adam’s deathly hold and make those who believe into children fit for heaven (Gen 3:15; Rom 5:12; 1 Cor 15:45-49) …
• … the son of Abraham, through whom the promise of a ‘great nation’ was actualised and through whom Jew and non-Jew are alike blessed (Gen 12;1-3; Rom 2;29; 4:12-17) )..
• … the son of David who sits on the long-promised eternal throne (2 Sam 7:12-16; Is 9:6-7; Matt 4:13-16)
• … the virgin’s child who is Immanuel, God with us (Is 7:14; Matt 1:23)
• … the one from little Bethlehem who is Israel’s ancient ruler (Mic 5:2; Mat 2;4-6)
The links roll on and on. In short Jesus is the one in whom all God’s promises are ‘yes’ (2 Cor 1:20). Thus he rightly taught his followers to get into the habit of reading the Old Testament with respect to himself, and especially with regard to his death and resurrection (Lke 24:27; 45-47; Jn 5:39-40).
The centrality of Jesus is why the two major Christian festivals of Christmas and Easter centre on him and on the key events of his incarnation, death and resurrection.
It is also why Jesus is the ground and object of Christian faith, hope and love. Our faith is in his redemptive life and death. Our hope is in his glorious return to usher in the fullness of the kingdom which he inaugurated. Our love arises from his love for us and is expressed to him before our neighbour.
Let’s be sure to keep an uncluttered faith, hope and love in Jesus and Jesus alone as he is the one whose name is given by God as the only means of salvation (Acts 4:12; 1 Tim 2:5).
Let’s use this Christmas to rekindle our focus on Jesus and to help others do the same.
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