A Debt we Could not pay

And he gave him the name Jesus. -Matthew 1:25

Christmas Eve a few years ago found my wife and I at the store doing what many others were doing that night; buying some last minute items for Christmas. As we waited in line I couldn't help but notice a woman in the line next to us. She had a grocery cart full of all sorts of items ranging from what appeared to be last minute Christmas gifts to groceries which would be used for Christmas dinner. The woman began to pay for her purchases and something seemed to be wrong; either the credit card was maxed out or there was some other problem that was hindering her paying for her groceries and gifts. While I could not hear all that was said, I did note that she looked to be upset as she tried again and again to get the card to register. My heart went out to her as I thought how sad it would be if she was not able to pay for all that food and all those gifts on Christmas Eve. For a moment I pondered how nice it would be if I was a wealthy man, and could step up beside her and pay for the things in her cart myself. However, that was out of the question as we were doing well to pay for our own groceries. Still, I thought about how nice it would be if I could have payed that bill for her - a bill which was around two-hundred dollars.

Finally, I saw that whatever problem there had been with the credit card must have been resolved, because the woman paid for her bill and was on her way. When I look back on that incident I am reminded of the great and awesome gift God gave to us in Christ Jesus. Mankind was in a terrible position of being unable to pay the debt we owed; a sin debt that was far beyond anything we could have ever paid. But God in His mercy sent Christ into the world to pay that debt for us and on our behalf. And to think that it all began in a humble stable in the little town of Bethlehem. Jesus came not to condemn the world, but to save it - just as He said (John 3:17). Most of the gifts we will receive for Christmas have some sort of monetary value. However, the gift of salvation given to us by God through Christ's coming is utterly priceless. Something as valuable as eternal life is precious beyond measure. And yet, God stepped up when we needed it most, and gave to us this precious gift free of charge. Someone else has paid the debt on our behalf - Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

This week, don't forget to stop and again give thanks for the greatest and most precious gift ever given; salvation through Christ. He is indeed the true reason for the season.

Merry Christmas!