From Cradle to the Cross

”It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon,“

‭‭Luke‬ ‭23‬:‭44‬ ‭NIV‬‬

It’s nine o’clock in the morning on December 24, 2023 when the fog rolls in. It’s so thick that I am unable to see down the road.

As I open the Bible I read these words:

”It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon,“

‭‭Luke‬ ‭23‬:‭44‬ ‭NIV‬‬

As I am about to celebrate the day of Jesus' first breath, I am reading about His last. The sun is not shining on either of these days.

It does not escape my notice this irony of the fog. These two events are indeed connected. Jesus came to die. Why is this important? We all die. What makes Jesus’ death more important?

Because with Jesus’ death, man’s payment for sin has been accepted. With His resurrection, three days later, Jesus has victory over death itself. The death penalty was issued in when Adam and Eve chose to listen to Satan over God. We were all under this sentence until Jesus volunteered to satisfy its requirement.

God could then redeem the earth and all who dwell in it when Jesus put to death—death. This is a gift from God. So, Jesus' birth is something beautiful to be celebrated and remembered.

We can now live in freedom, unattached to Satan's chains. Not to continue to do our own will—that’s exactly what Adam and Eve did, but to live a life with God, and for God! To walk in fellowship with the Creator, obeying Him and living in His right standing. We have been given the chance to be born again.

We can either realize the splendor of this gift—allowing us to “go back to the beginning,” and accept His way, or reject it like Adam and Eve did. We were created to have fellowship with God, and He still desires this relationship.

We are given an opportunity for a do-over.

Are we going to take advantage of it?

Father,

It ended up costing You so much.

You created us, then due to our rebellion, You lost us. Then Your own Son, the God-child, was given to redeem us. You gave Your only Son, for us.

"Thank You" seems inadequate. You gave Your all for a brief encounter with ungrateful people. Yet You did—because You actually love each ungrateful one of us.

But “Thank You” is all I have, that and my daily surrender and eternal devotion. You are truly the Great I Am.

It is a privilege to know You and serve You. It is an honor to obey You. But You know all too well—I’m not very good at it. I need Your help daily to do what’s right.

Again, thank You for Your help.

Thank You for sending us Jesus,

Amen.