Christmas colors!  It is said the red of Christmas is for the blood of the cross of Jesus.  You might react negatively to this statement.  You might think “Why spoil the fun of Christmas with such an ugly, hideous story about a good, though confused, man that was executed 2000 years ago?” 

Yet long before the Christ child was born, even before creation, God master minded a plan to buy back mankind from a curse of death.  God, long before the story of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden, saw the inability of mankind to keep His laws.  God knew the link to Him would be broken and humankind would lose its way back to Him.  All we like sheep have lost our way.  We have turned, everyone, to his own way.  But the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. 

God knew the moment of disobedience would open a floodgate of malware into the human genetic code that would forever sever the designed connection to Him and condemn each and every one to an eternity of pain, darkness, hopelessness, despair apart from His life of joy and light and hope and love.

The curse for breaking God’s law is death.  The wages or payment for sin is death but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.  Without the shedding of blood there is no payment for sin but God loved the world so much that He sent His one and only Son so that whoever believes in him may not perish but have everlasting life.

Jesus said He didn’t come to judge the world but to save or rescue mankind.  Everyone.  He said there is only ONE WAY, ONE TRUTH, ONE LIFE.  No one comes to God except through Him.  He is THE DOOR.  The only acceptable currency to deliver us from death row is the payment of Jesus’ blood on the cross.  The red of Christmas is, as the angels announced to the shepherds in the field at Christ’s birth, “JOY TO THE WORLD!  FOR UNTO YOU IS BORN THIS DAY IN THE CITY OF DAVID THE SAVIOR WHICH IS CHRIST THE LORD!”

Have you accepted your pardon?  The Judge has declared your debt PAID IN FULL!   The offer is only good if you accept it.  Have you wanted a fresh start?  Do you long to be released from the fear of never measuring up?  You will never measure up without accepting God’s covering for your debt.  There will always be that accusing voice that snarls and reminds you of your failings and indiscretions or how good you are and surely that should count for something but we overcome all those lies with the blood of the Lamb.  God’s Christmas present to the world.  Accept God’s gift today! 

JOY TO THE WORLD THE LORD HAS COME!