“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only son, that whoever believes on Him, will not perish, but have everlasting life.” This is the Christmas message, found in John 3:16. You see, God had created mankind to be in relationship with Him. But, Adam rebelled and chose to sin against God’s command. This caused separation from God, and the human race had no way earn it back. So God decided to send His own perfect Son, Jesus Christ, to come and live in human form, experiencing life in this fallen world. His entry came as a baby, in the town of Bethlehem, to Mary who was impregnated by the Holy Spirit, and his seeming earthly father Joseph.
So Jesus, as all God and all man, lived a perfect, sinless life. Yet, he didn’t fit in the religious, legalistic system of the day and was sentenced to death by crucifixion. Taking on the sin of the world, he died, but then rose from the dead, offering a restored relationship with God, with eternal life and freedom to all who believe.
