Is Jesus The Reason For This Season Only?

Uplook – December 2010 – Grace & Truth Magazine

IsJESUSThe Reason For This Season Only?

“If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Romans10:9-10 KJV

At Christmas time we often hear it said that Jesus is the reason for the season. I doubt very much that the Lord wants to be the reason for only one season. I think He would rather be remembered every day. Jesus has asked us to believe in Him with our hearts, to be baptized to show that we believe in Him, and to remember Him often in every season by sharing in a symbolic meal that proclaims His death until He comes (1 Cor. 11:26). He wants us to give Him our bodies as living sacrifices (Rom. 12:1). He wants the fruit of our lips which is praise (Heb. 13:15). Many people who worship Christ during the Christmas season do as He has asked, but many do not. How many of us are honestly occupied with the Christ of the Bible who loves us and died for us during this holiday season?

In the verses above, we are told that the Lord wants our hearts. I believe that means He also wants our love, our loyalty, our friendship and our obedience. He doesn’t want us merely to believe about Him; He wants us to believe in Him. He is the author of our eternal salvation; He is the first and the last; He is the beginning and the end; He is the One who is and who was and who is to come; He is the Messiah; He is the Man of Sorrows; He is also the King of kings and Lord of lords; He is the friend of sinners; He is the Prince of Peace; and He is our Savior, our Lord and our God.

Most of the world didn’t believe when He came the first time, even though He came just as it was predicted in the Old Testament. A few Gentile wise men, who likely knew the prophecies of Daniel, believed in Him and came from the East to worship Him. But the Jews by and large had their hopes set on a political rather than a spiritual deliverer, and hence rejected His claims. Religious people missed Him, but a few scholars of the Old Testament prophecies believed in their hearts and worshiped Him.

The Lord who was born in a manger and crucified on a cross has made a bold claim; He said, “I will come again” (Jn. 14:3). He is coming to judge the world for rejecting Him. He is also going to set up His righteous kingdom (2 Tim. 4:1) which is foretold in the prophecies of the Bible. But before He does these things, He is going to come to deliver from His wrath those who have believed Him in their hearts (1 Th. 4:13-18). They will be caught up to be with Him forever.

The Lord wants us to believe in our hearts that the baby that was born in Bethlehem went to the cross to die for our sins, and that He has been raised from the dead. He is living and is coming again. He wants us to be occupied with Him all the time, not just during the Christmas season. He wants to be our Savior and Lord for all seasons.

By Bruce Collins