I was doing a little winter gardening today, and I neglected to wear protective gloves. Needless to say, when pruning my roses, I received a few pricks from the tiny little thorns near the “dead heads” I was cutting, and it was so painful!
After I had finished cutting my roses, the larger woody stems near the bases of those bushes caught my eye. The thorns were huge near the roots! Their size amazed me, and I stood for a few moments just in awe of the enormity of those thorns, grateful they hadn’t punctured my thumb!
Suddenly, a picture came to my mind. It was the crown of thorns that the Lord Jesus wore as He was tortured just prior to His crucifixion, and for a moment, a great sorrow filled my heart. John 19:2 states, “And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe”. I knew how badly my fingers felt when pierced by those tiny rose thorns, and I couldn’t even imagine how much agony Jesus suffered when the Roman soldiers pressed that mockery of a crown upon His head.
In this season, we often are so caught up in the commercialism of Christmas that the tiny babe of Bethlehem is merely a fleeting thought or forgotten all together, but Jesus truly is the reason we celebrate Christmas! God left the splendor of heaven to be born of a virgin and live among His creation as a man, knowing His ultimate fate would be a crown of thorns and a rugged cross. He chose to sacrifice Himself so that we could have a way to have our sins forgiven and receive everlasting life with Him in heaven.
When you hear “Jesus is the reason for the season”, remember that He is the true reason for the holiday and the best Christmas present ever! He is the gift that God the Father gave the world! While we were dying in our sin, He offered us life through His beloved Son, Jesus. John 3:16 states, “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.”
As sinners, we all need forgiveness for our sins in order to one day live forever in heaven. By believing that Jesus paid for our sins on the cross and asking for His forgiveness, He becomes the Lord of our lives, and we are promised eternal life with Him! It’s so simple! The Bible says, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23).
What a wonderful Christmas gift! It can be yours today!
From His throne Jesus came, laid aside heaven’s fame
In exchange for the cross of Calv’ry,
For my gain suffered loss, for my sin He bore the cross
He was wounded and I was set free.
Born to die upon Calv’ry, Jesus suffered my sin to forgive,
Born to die upon Calv’ry, He was wounded that I might live.
(from “Born to Die” by Ron Hamilton)
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Have you received God’s Christmas gift? I’d love to know!
Yeas i have received His gift. Thank you for this devotion.
Thank you, Jayne, for this reminder of our blessed Saviour’s sacrifice. It began at Bethlehem and continued to Calvary! Merry Christmas!