This week I’m writing about the Christ candle. It is the last candle in the advent wreath and it is in the center. That is because Christ is central to the message of the Christmas story…and Christianity! As you have heard various comments and messages both overt and inferred this Christmas season, you might not have figured this out! You might have even wondered what the main point of Christmas was.
What is the main point of the Christmas story?
The Christmas story has been so muddled with sentimentalism, political correctness, commercial messages and an amazing hodge-podge of misinformation taken from everywhere except the Bible.
But Scripture is the source of our information about who Christ was and why He came to earth…as well as the prophecies about his coming from the beginning of time starting in Genesis, coming through the Patriarchs and moving to His birth, life, death, Resurrection and after. It’s all written down in 66 books of various types for us to learn about GOD’s expectations of us, how we totally and completely failed to measure up, and how He provided a way to atone for our sin.
His story of redemption, provided by grace, without ignoring justice, meeting all of its standards, and providing a just and perfect substitute for us. Only GOD could have figured out such a perfect and horrible solution: His Son must come to earth in human form, die on a cross unjustly, be separated from the Father for a time, satisfy of the conditions needed and then Resurrection!
It was unbelievable, amazing, horrible and scandalous!
The spotless Lamb of GOD (symbolized by the white candle) must come to die for mankind.
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said,
“Look, the Lamb of God,
who takes away the sin of the world!
John 1:29
This is what the Bible says about who Jesus is:
The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth,
visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities;
all things have been created through him and for him.
He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
And he is the head of the body, the church;
he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead,
so that in everything he might have the supremacy.
For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him,
and through him to reconcile to himself all things,
whether things on earth or things in heaven,
by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior.
But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body
through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—
if you continue in your faith, established and firm,
and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel.
This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven,
and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.
Colossians 1:15-23
Dear Martha
I once read something that will forever stay with me. The author said that the Bible is the only book in the world that you need to know its Author personally to understand His writings. So true.
Blessings for 2014 XX
Mia
in a hermeneutics (interpreting the Bible) class i took once, they taught that meaning is in the mind of the author. i guess it’s the other side of what you heard. it’s a bit complex too b/c the primary way GOD reveals Himself in an objective way, is in the Bible! so if we don’t interpret the type of reading well, we can mess it up…apart from His intervention of course.
Blessings to you across the miles…in 2014 as well:)