The bible tells us that humanity’s biggest problem is sin. This problem affects you and me deeply, and there is already no “vaccination” that can save us from it. It is the root of all problems. Because of sin, humans will die, fall ill, and be threatened by Covid-19. Because of sin, people will hate and betray each other. Because of sin, people have an insatiable desire for evil passions. Because of sin, human greed renders us unrestrained in the exploitation and destruction of nature’s resources. Because of sin, humans became arrogant. Covid-19 has been a wake-up call to some extent. Yet, the most terrible thing is that sin blinds our soul so that we cannot recognise the true God and are unable to receive the true God’s blessings, leaving us to face the endless punishment in hell. “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear” (Isaiah 59:2). 2000 years ago, God sent Jesus Christ into the world to save humans from sin, but human’s evil nature rejected Him. “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed” (John 3:19-20).
Christians celebrate Christmas to remember the Light entering the world. This Light is Jesus Christ. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:16-17). Jesus Christ was sent into the world by God to save humans from the grapples of sin. His coming is the true hope for the people who live in the darkness of sin!
Jesus Christ entered the world in the form of a baby, just like you and me. From a helpless infant to an adult, He experienced all of life’s pains and joys. He, just like us, faced the temptations of sin, but he did not sin. Throughout history, Jesus Christ is the only one who never sinned. Therefore, only He has the credentials to resolve human’s problem of sin. As mankind’s representative, Jesus took on the sins of the world and accepted God’s punishment for us. To save us, Jesus who is blameless became our scapegoat to die on the cross and to face God’s wrath for us. Why does Jesus sacrifice himself as such? Because He loves you and me. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Today, for those who accept Jesus as their Saviour, our sins are completely forgiven because of Jesus’ salvation. Once the problem of sin is resolved, there will never be anything that bars us from God’s blessings. In truth, Jesus Christ rose again on the third day after He died on the cross. He also gives this resurrection life to everyone who trusts in Him. From the moment we believe in Jesus we enjoy this new life. This new life gives us the strength to curb our tendency to sin, allows us to have a new perspective (God’s perspective) in our daily dealings with others. Let us live in this temporal world with eternity in view. This is what many genuine believers of Jesus can testify: Jesus’ salvation impacts the family through the individual; impacts the community through the family; impacts the nation through the community. His ability to save is so vast that throughout the history of mankind, he has left behind much evidence. The rise of early western countries is one evidence among many.
Covid-19’s harsh reality is a wake-up call for us: do not pin your hopes on this superficial and uncertain world. The true hope is Christmas’ main character: Jesus Christ.
translated by Davina Seet