Many Christians seem to almost be proud of the notion that 'Jesus was 'Born to Die', yes, that we might live, but there is so much of a focus, especially around this time of year, on the fact that He came to die ( for the sins of His people ), that we often seem to forget that, more importantly; He came to live, and to bring Life to those trusting in Him!
A friend was telling me just the other day that Christmas has become a bigger holiday than Easter. This is sadly true, and while much of this is due to commercialism and greed, this is as sadly true among many Christians who have also become caught up in the greed and idolatry so rampant around this time of year! I believe that another reason that so many Christians, even, have placed more importance on the birth of Christ than on His resurrection is the fact that most Christians do not believe that His resurrection has truly been effective yet, and related to this, there is also the 'ghost' of individualism that haunts them.
Don't get me wrong; it is good and right to celebrate the birth of our Savior! This is something; however, that we should be doing everyday, and not just around this time of year! The same goes, in all actuality, for Easter, or, to be more correct, Resurrection Day, where we celebrate the fact that death could not hold, and in fact, was defeated by Him. This leads us back to the sad fact that many Christians believe that His resurrection has not yet finally been effective, because of the belief that the death He died was to reverse the effects of physical death, rather than the metaphorical, or separational ( relational ) death that our first covenant ( federal ) head died in the day that he ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
We celebrate the fact that He was born into this world to take away the sin of His people, and then, on Easter Sonday, or Resurrection Sonday, we celebrate the fact that He rose from the dead, defeating death, but we don't realize, sadly, that in actuality, death has been defeated! Too many Christians, and this is where the haunting 'ghost' of individualism arises, are expecting that their physical bodies will be raised again after they die. Maybe this is why Christmas has long had a more important 'air' about it than Easter, or Resurrection Day ( we can't forget the greed & idolatry thing, either )!
That He came to live, and to bring Life, that we might live, while not a totally overlooked fact, should have more impact on our daily lives than any separate celebration of His Birth, His Death, or His resurrection, for that matter.
Was Jesus born to die?
Yes, in a sense, He was, but it is so much more than that! He lived, most importantly, that He might, by His Life, reverse the effects of Adam's disobedience. He did this by fully satisfying the requirements of the Law ( since His people could not ) throughout His Life on earth, and then, yes, He did die for the sins of His people, and to defeat death forever by bringing His people back into Communion, and in fact Union with His Father, their Creator!
As we celebrate, to varying degrees, the birth of our Savior, let us always remember that He was born to live, and because He brought us Life, being the Resurrection and the Life, and remembering always this glorious fact, let us live the Life that He brought us, not as in hoping ( waiting ) for some future life! With the realization our Life, the Life of His covenant people, is in Him; let us celebrate that Life, and live as those who have been freed from the bondage of sin and death!
Gloriously alive,
Charles Haddon Shank
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