We are familiar with the account of Jesus’ birth. We are also familiar with the accounts of Jesus’ death. The familiarity sometimes produces a carelessness in our approach to God. It is very true that Jesus loves us. This is why He came. Sin had separated us from God, who loves us so very much.

Jesus takes sin very seriously. He knows that our sin is what keeps us from experiencing Him and His love. It keeps us from being close and connected to Him. Jesus took sin so seriously that He was willing to suffer and die a horrendous death on the cross. He took upon Himself the punishment we all deserve for the sin in our lives. As the thief on the cross pointed out.

”We (himself and the other thief) are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man (Jesus) has done nothing wrong.”“

Luke 23:41 NIV

Jesus had done nothing wrong… He knew the only way we could be free of sin and it’s destruction was His sacrifice.

Jesus took sin seriously, but do we? We come to Him desiring for our lives to be bettered by Him, but freedom from sin comes through the cross. When we receive Jesus’ forgiveness and cleansing we then need to follow Him further to the cross. At the cross we die to ourselves, we die to sin so we can be alive in Him. Sin destroys! I ask you as Paul did, “How can we who are dead to sin live any longer there in?” Romans 6:2.

The Baby we celebrate this time of year came with a mission to destroy the power of sin. He lived His life on earth to fulfill the mission of the cross. As we receive the gift of Christmas— Jesus’ salvation, may we continue to follow Him from the manger to the cross where sin must die.