Many will read of Christ this season and scoff at His salvation. They will listen to hymns, sing along, and not believe a word. They will look out at a world in peril and search for another man to solve the problems. Do not be counted among them. 

And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.
Matthew 1:21 NKJV

Humanity’s Great Search

The year draws to a close with the world in peril. Wars rage in Ukraine, Russia, Syria, Lebanon, Sudan, Ethiopia, Israel, Gaza, and other less mentioned places. Disease spreads in Congo. Governments are collapsing in Canada, Germany, and France. Cartels in Mexico carried out 7,500 murders in a single year. Parents in the United States murdered more than 1,000,000 of their own children—a small number compared to the balance of the world. More than 100,000 Americans ended their lives through drug overdoses.

On the spiritual front, few Americans are giving their attention to the Lord. Scarcely 40% of adults read the Bible quarterly.^[1] About 1/3 of the U.S. population describes itself as atheist, agnostic, or nothing in particular.^[2] How will mankind solve the growing problems of the modern era?

110 years ago in August, World War 1 began with Germany invading Belgium. Both sides claimed the war would be over by Christmas. When the armies suffered more than 1,000,000 casualties in the first month it became clear that the conflict would be protracted and devastating. People comforted themselves by saying the war had to be bad so that it would, “be the war to end all wars.” Only a generation later, contrary to the promises of Prime Minister Chamberlain, an even bloodier war ravaged the world.

The United Nations was established and the nuclear bomb stockpiled as deterrents for future wars. Nevertheless, wars in Korea and Vietnam left millions of casualties – the former is currently on a 71-year armistice pause. Mao set up communism at a cost to China of more than 50,000,000 lives. In more recent history, scientists so called told us that vaccines, social distancing, and masks were going to keep people from getting sick. The National Covid Memorial Wall in London tells a different story.^[3] The Russia-Ukraine war may cross 1,000,000 casualties this month.^[4]

History is full of charismatic leaders who make charismatic promises that eager populations hopefully embrace. Men look to other men to solve their problems. Nevertheless, the problems remain. New problems arise. Humanity looks for new leaders. New leaders disappoint humanity. War, violence, sin, and evil abound. 11,300 Americans will die again tomorrow. The year draws to a close with the world in peril.

God’s Great Provision

Why so many perils? Why so much sorrow, sickness, and suffering? Long ago sin entered the world by one man Adam. Death followed sin. Evil multiplied. Idolatry, adultery, murder, covetousness, and the list of sins goes on. The Lord looked for a man to stand in the gap as His judgment was coming but He found no one! The flood destroyed all but eight souls. Still sin abounded in the generations that followed. Heroes came and delivered for a time, but death took them all away. 150 years after the Maccabees freed Jerusalem from Syrian-Greek rule, Jerusalem was under the control of the Roman empire. If 6,000+ years of history teach anything, it is that men cannot solve humanity’s problems.

God came to mankind with the solution to man’s problem of sin and death. He did not promise a mere man, but promised the divine man. God called Him the “seed of the woman” in Genesis 3. Isaiah revealed His name as Immanuel.^[5] He was called, “wonderful, counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.”^[6] The prophets referred to Him as the Redeemer. By the time of the New Testament, people knew Him as the Messiah, the Christ.^[7] In signs, types, and prophecies, God reminded ancient peoples of His promised provision. The divine Son of God would come to rescue the perishing. For thousands of years mankind waited. But when the fulness of time was come, God sent forth His Son. The virgin Mary and her husband Joseph arrived in Bethlehem. Jesus Christ was born.

Christ’s Great Name

When Joseph learned his fiancé was pregnant, he decided to put her away quietly so as not to bring her added shame. While Joseph thought on those things the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and told him not to put away his wife for the child in her womb was of the Lord. The angel gave two descriptions concerning the child: His name and His work.

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