Why I rejoice this Christmas even though I am in mourning

I have every reason to mourn and to cry my heart out this Christmas because my brother died in an accident this year. Tradition says, ‘Don’t celebrate Christmas because there has been a death in the family’. There are others in my home who believe and follow these traditions and so there is a shadow over our home… the shadow and gloom of mourning. But I would not be honest if I had to say that the same shadow is there in my heart. I am sure many of you who read this will be alarmed and start thinking, ‘Doesn’t she love her brother!?!’; ‘How could she?’ etc. Before you condemn me for my stance let me explain to you how I see this matter.

My Lord Jesus came into this world for our salvation. Salvation is the gift that gives mere mortals like us ‘eternal life’. If it were not for Jesus every one of us would have perished – meaning that when we died – our souls would be destroyed and have no more hope. But Jesus changed all that. He, who lived in the unimaginable splendor of heaven and had all power and authority over everything on earth, didn’t have to come down and become a mere human being at all. But He did. He did it because that was the only way to save mankind from the consequences of the sin of Adam and Eve.

You would be aware that many religions have something called a ‘sin offering’ where a sacrifice is made in atonement for some sin or crime committed. Since ages ago people have offered the blood of lambs and goats, doves and other small living beings for these sacrifices. Even in the Jewish laws, there are rules that a blemish-less lamb has to be sacrificed for atonement.

You would also be aware of the time of flood during Noah’s time and the Word of God says that wickedness in the world had risen to such an extent that God grieved and despaired that He had made man.(Genesis 6:5-7) This story is found in thousands of folklore around the world and is known to be a fact. What we need to understand here is that sin had increased to such a great extent that the mere sacrifice of small animals would no longer atone for all the sins of mankind. God saw that only Noah was righteous and instead of wiping out the human race He gave us a chance. Noah and his family grew in number and inhabited the world again.

God could have just let all of die for the consequences of our sins. I am sure you would all agree that when we look into the changes we have seen just in the last forty years, wickedness has increased to the degree that what was termed wicked and wrong at that time is no longer considered wrong anymore. Promiscuity is so rampant that it is common and doesn’t raise eyebrows any more! When the common level of ‘sin’ is so high, I am sure the individual levels can’t be far behind.

God created man to live forever eternally but sin disqualified him from it. God made a plan to save us from eternal destruction and that is where Jesus fit in. He came to be the blemish-less sinless ‘sin offering’ – the ‘Lamb of God’ who would be offered on our behalf, for our sins. We all know that a man like Jesus who didn’t do a single wrong had to die the death of a criminal on a cross – condemned and humiliated.

He who had power over everything chose to die that day so that His death would become the atonement for us. The good news for human kind was that three days after his death He rose again. Death came into the world after Adam and Eve’s sin – it was a consequence of their sin. Jesus hadn’t sinned at all so that consequence had no effect on Him. Death had no power over Him and He rose again! With His rising from the death He became the beautiful door through which anyone who wishes to forsake his sinful nature can walk through and go to heaven blameless!!!

My brother Noel had accepted the Lord Jesus as his Savior. Just days before his accident he had stood up in church on Good Friday and asked for forgiveness of all his sins. In doing so he was washed in the Blood of Christ – Who atoned for all his sins. If it were not for my Lord Jesus, my brother would have been dead forever – but he is not dead…his soul lives!!! All of us are going to die sometime or another. But I can now live with the hope that when my time on earth is over I can meet him again in heaven and I rejoice that I haven’t lost him forever.

It was the Christmas night when this beautiful miracle of Salvation began to unfold through the birth of Christ. How can I not celebrate the birth of the Savior of all mankind who gave His all so that we could live? If Jesus were not there, I would mourn all my life because there would be no hope for me or for anyone else.  

But Jesus is here and He is alive, He is my hope, my joy and everything to me. He has wiped my tears every time I have cried… though I have lived among family, none of them knew the grief and pain I have borne in the years gone by but Jesus knew and He was with me! He has answered countless prayers I have prayed for all my loved ones… so who am I that I should complain to my Lord? Hasn’t He done all that could be done to save our souls?

Yes I grieve… I grieve for all the countless people who live without hope because they do not know Jesus. I grieve for all those people who have no idea about this wonderful gift that Jesus has given them freely. I grieve that there are people who say they know Him but live like those who don’t know Him at all.

Knowing Jesus personally changes you forever… you will never be the same again. If you want to know Him for yourself you just have to say this prayer and mean it, ‘Dear Jesus, come into my heart. Please forgive me for all my sins. Thank You for Your gift of salvation. I accept You as my Savior, please reveal Yourself to me and teach me to live a life that is pleasing to You, Amen. ’

Friends, this is the single greatest treasure of my life… and it is a treasure I would love every one to have, Jesus – the one blessing that is the fountain of all blessings in our life!!