Category: Christmas

Staying Safe this Christmas?

Last Friday we watched Mark Drakeford (First Minister in Wales) give his latest briefing. They are weekly now. It’s not in the transcript, that I could see, but he said in the briefing that 50% of the population of Wales would or could ‘fall ill.’ He’s used this phrase before. I’ve no idea what he means by ‘fall ill.’ And 50% of the population is over 1.5 million people. He seems to equate a positive test with being ill regardless of whether there are symptoms or not. In other words, they haven’t ‘fallen ill’ but have tested positive for a variant, as I understand it, that is mild. He also said in his briefing that being ‘double dosed is no good. You must have the booster to be safe.’ There’s a great emphasis from the Government on staying safe.

(There was another update yesterday.) A few days previous to the Friday Briefing he gave an impromptu broadcast in view of the seriousness of the situation and the rapid spread of Omicron. I thought he looked terrified. He should be. Many are terrified. Maybe you should be too. And even if the virus holds no terror for you – read on.

My question is this, and has been for the past 18 months or so: has Christ conquered death or not? (2 Tim 1:10) We’ll be singing this Christmas about how Christ was ‘born that man no more may die’ (Wesley). Was he?

Heb 2:14  ‘Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself (Jesus) likewise partook of the same things, that through death he (Jesus) might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil,
Heb 2:15  and deliver all those (that’s us) who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.’

Luk 12:4  ‘“I (Jesus) tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do.
Luk 12:5  But I (Jesus) will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I (Jesus) tell you, fear him!’

There is no antidote to death except in the Lord Jesus Christ. And specifically through his blood (Eph 1:7). Virus or no virus, vaccination or no vaccination, we are all appointed to die. Nothing will prevent this. The State cannot prevent this. The NHS cannot prevent this, and neither can you. There is no vaccine, test, or isolation, that can prevent death.

Heb 9:27  ‘And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,
Heb 9:28  so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.’

Jesus came into the world to save sinners. This is why he came (1 Tim 1:15). This is why we celebrate Christmas.

Heb 10:7 Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’”

In all the tinsel and presents, and even the virus, don’t lose sight of the coming of the Saviour who is Christ the Lord. He (alone) is the strong tower to which we run, and are safe. (Prov 18:10)

So if you have not trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ you are not safe. The Lord Jesus says:

Mat 11:28  Come to me (Jesus), all who labor and are heavy laden, and I (Jesus) will give you rest.
Mat 11:29  Take my (Jesus) yoke upon you, and learn from me (Jesus), for I (Jesus) am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

The Lord Jesu Christ (alone) has indeed conquered death. Why? Because he has risen from the dead to die no more. This Christmas then, may we all find rest & safety for our souls in Christ alone.

Boris points to Christ – sort of

The Prime Minister (Boris Johnson) gave his  Christmas Message (see below) on Christmas Eve after securing a last minute Brexit deal.

It was obvious that he was on a Brexit high and took the opportunity to give us a happy Brexit Christmas. I’m sure just as many will have been pleased to hear it as those that were displeased or simply horrified at the whole process. The Brexit deal is definitely not the feast.

Like Prime Ministers before him Boris was able to demonstrate that he’s actually clueless as to what the real Christmas message is about. Of course he knows some of the details which isn’t necessarily a bad thing as it shows Christianity is still, for now, embedded in our culture. One might even say Boris had totally lost the plot if he really knew it in the first place. Like many of us probably. Embedded as it may be, the real message is easily obscured where there is no real knowledge of God or the Saviour who has entered our world to save people from their sins. There are so many things that Christmas is not about and Boris’s message for many is about as close as they want to get. I mean, contact with Christ, who is Lord of all, can be life changing. Boris is a good example, perhaps, of people that want ‘something’ to do with Christmas but really don’t want to get too close. Like Herod, he didn’t want to get close at all and set about making sure he didn’t. That didn’t work out so well for Herod. Let’s face it, the PM (any PM) has to say something Christmassy even it’s mostly nonsense.

What is Christmas about then?

In a nutshell, we all have a problem. The problem we face is that we are born with a sinful rebellious nature that wants nothing to do with God. That puts us at odds with God and makes us by nature ‘children of wrath.’ This rebellion will be dealt with and put down once and for all when The Lord Jesus comes again to Judge the world – that’s all of us. You and Boris included.

But such is the love of God that he sends a Saviour. A rescuer from the Judgment of God has come.

What do I want for Boris? The same as I want for you. Salvation from sin. A Saviour, who is Christ the Lord. ‘You shall call his name Jesus’, Mary was told. Why? Because he (Jesus) will save his people from their sins.

How does Jesus do this?

The Christmas message, and in fact the whole Christian Gospel, is all about what God has done. In the first place, He is born into this world. He lives a life of perfect obedience and is offered as a sacrifice to turn aside the wrath of God. This he does on the Cross. Wonderfully He rises from the dead and ascends to the right hand of God where he waits till the day of judgment. In the meantime, right now, Jesus is building his Church. And he is right now calling people through The Gospel (good news) to ‘repent and believe.’

Boris rightly talked about ‘rebirth and renewal’ but the rebirth and renewal the Bible talks about comes through repentance and faith in the one God sent. That is the Lord Jesus Christ. The question for you then, and for all of us (Boris included) is will you repent and believe, calling upon God for forgiveness?