The Savior, Pt. 4
What’s the most expensive gift you’ve ever bought for someone? In 1631, the Taj Mahal was built by Shah Jahan as a gift of memorial honoring his deceased wife, and it’s reported that it cost some 32 million Rupees, which translates to today’s currency of nearly 1 billion dollars.
Romans 6:23 says “For the wages of sin is death.” Death is the price that must be paid for sin. That is certainly not a price we could ever afford to pay on our own. Therefore, we need someone to cover the debt on our behalf. But Romans 6:23 goes on to say “But the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” It was Jesus who paid the price for our sin. Jesus, who did not know sin, became sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21). Furthermore, his last words on the cross were “It is finished.” (John 19:30). With his last breath that he took on that cross, he finished what he had come to do and our debt was paid in full. Now that’s a priceless gift!
That is something to think about and keep in our hearts – Jesus’s purpose in coming to earth in the likeness of humanity was to die for our sins so we can be forgiven. The writer of Hebrews says in Hebrews 9:22 “According to the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” Christmas should remind us of the love that God has for us, that He sent His son to die for our sins. Christmas should remind us of Jesus’ love, that he went willingly to the cross so we can be forgiven. But let’s also show others the same love that God has for us in Jesus. Today is Christmas Day, and it’s likely that you’ve bought a gift or two to give to others for Christmas (albeit not the Taj Mahal!). As much as those gifts are an expression of your love and kindness towards others, remember that there is no greater gift than the gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Our gifts to each other are a significant feature of today’s holiday, and yet, they should simply be a finite reflection of the infinite gift we have all been given in Christ Jesus – a gift that he is calling us all to share with others this Christmas.
What more priceless gift could we ever give?