By Carl Brady
It has been a rough year. The pandemic has affected us all. A number of people have contracted the virus. Most have survived but some had to go through a very tough battle and some still have lingering after effects. Some lost loved ones to it. A number of businesses went under in the fight against it and many lost their livelihoods. Still others suffered emotionally from anxiety or from the effects of isolation. But the good news is the year is not yet over, there is still a time of rejoicing left in 2020.
Christmas will soon be here. That joyous time of proclaiming peace on earth, good will toward all, is coming. It will be celebrated around the world. For many, it is simply a time of fun, family and gifts . The pandemic will put a damper on that type of celebration as it did Thanksgiving. But, Christians believe there is a far more important reason for celebration. Christmas is the commemoration of one of the most momentous events ever to occur, the coming of God to live as a man on earth.
That little baby Jesus we picture lying in the manger was actually the creator of the universe come to dwell among us. John 1:1-3 says, “In the beginning was the Word (Jesus), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.” John 1:14 adds, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”
One of the most familiar verses in the Bible, John 3:16, tells us the reason for this miraculous event, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” And, we shouldn’t forget the next verse, John 3:17, “God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” The apostle Paul tells us in Romans (3:23, 5:8 and 6:23) that we need saving because we have all have sinned and the wages of sin is death but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus who died for us while we were yet sinners.
His death on the cross did not end Jesus’ time on earth. Paul tells us in First Corinthians (15:3-6) that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day and that he appeared to many including more than 500 at one time. And 40 days after his resurrection, as his apostles watched, Jesus ascended back to heaven (Acts 1:9-11).
If you find these verses about Jesus interesting and would like to explore more about what the Bible says about him, there is a great resource available right here in Longmont. It’s called Community Bible Study (CBS), a non-denominational bible study where you can get together with others in this area to study and discuss the word of God. This year CBS is studying the gospel of John and new participants can join in at any time. Because of the pandemic, the study is meeting virtually using Zoom. I don’t have anything to do with running CBS, I’m just a grateful participant. But there are some wonderful volunteers running it and you can get more information about participating by going to Longmont.cbsclass.org.
Carl Brady is a retired engineer who has lived in Frederick for more than 15 years.
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December 20, 2020 at 08:17PM
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Carl Brady: There’s still a time of rejoicing left in 2020 - Longmont Times-Call
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