By Marvin Maniraguha
Jesus Christ is the hope for mankind. John 8:32 says: “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free”. In this case, the truth is Jesus Christ Himself.
Jesus came to give life
The devil has corrupted people’s minds so that they scoff at the truth, knowing they will remain bound.
Remember he came to steal, kill and destroy, yet Jesus says He came to give life, and life more abundantly (John 10:10).
So, in the midst of these tough and turbulent times, Jesus Christ’s birth reminds us of the abundant life He came to give us.
And this life is not only that you may live long, He wants to make things also around you come to life; it could be your health, your children who have gone astray, feuding family members etc.
God has very many promises to those that believe in Him. And for me, the most profound promises are found in Psalms 91:1-16. Verse 16 says with long life He will satisfy you, and show you salvation.
God will satisfy whoever believes in His Son Jesus Christ, and this is the hope. You always hear people saying, ‘if God exists, then why do we have wars, hunger, turmoil, deaths happening all over the place?
They believe that God, with all His power and might, should control things. But He gave man the ability to make choices.
The fall of man in the Garden of Eden came because man used his free will to obey the devil.
But then, this free will has consequences. Deuteronomy 30:19: “I have set before you, life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life that both you and your descendants may live.”
So, even though there is a free will, there are consequences for your choices. In other words, you have to put up with the outcomes. Choose Jesus who gives life.
Jesus the resurrection
The Son of God came that people should have life in its abundance. He is the giver of life since He can also preserve it.
Lazarus of Bethany, who was a brother to Martha and Mary, got sick and died.
However, Jesus regarded him as asleep, because He knew He would raise him (John 11:1-44). The people present did not have hope because they thought no one could die and resurrect.
So, amidst a multitude of people, a great miracle happened, the dead man Lazarus came to life again.
That means men can live again when they died. Did He not give us authority to heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead and cast out demons? (Matthew 10:8).
Although many people did not believe that a person can be raised again after death, Lazarus and the others who were raised, lived again.
He gave us authority
“Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy” (Luke 10:19). Believers now have authority in Christ over all obstacles from the enemy.
Through Jesus, you are now more than a conqueror, because He has overcome the world. You only need to trust that He can and will be with you in all of our problems.
Our failures do not stop His love, and our troubles can never hinder His perfect plan for us.
His birth signified a pledge to bring you peace, no matter what you may be going through. Jesus is the Word of God and the light of this world who will never fail you.
He willingly left the splendor of Heaven to come to this Earth, knowing that we would reject Him.
Yet His love was so great that He chose to walk with us and be crucified to bring us peace with God. If we are going to live a life of freedom, we must understand the authority given to us.
When we understand who we are in Christ, we are able to overcome all hindrances that derail us from living a life of freedom.
He bore our sins in His body, and by His stripes we were healed (1 Peter 2:24).
There are many diseases in the world, and most recently, we have had Covid-19 which has claimed the lives of millions of people, there are so many other diseases that have killed people in our time.
Whether curable or incurable, there is no disease the Lord cannot heal.
So, as we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, let us remember that He came to save us from sin and suffering, and we should live with this confidence every day.
Merry Christmas!
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