Rabi Gunaratnam's Blog - Posts Tagged "salvation"
Good News of Great Joy
The shepherds were going about their job of looking after the sheep at night when suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared among them and announced, “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people” (Luke 2:10). The angel continued, “The Saviour, the Messiah was born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!” Luke continues, “Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, "Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased" (Luke 2:13–14 NLT).
Imagine their surprise and perhaps their shock at this sudden occurrence. The Jews had not heard from God through a prophet for four hundred years. But they had been expecting a messiah of sorts to free them from oppression under the Romans. They would not have imagined that this announcement was going to be made to them in this fashion. Angels were giving glory to God and saying that there will be peace on earth to those who please God. Peace on earth!
Are you experiencing this peace?
Even though our life on earth is a tiny blip on the time scale of eternity, God is concerned about peace on earth. And now!
Jesus the Son of God was born on this earth to a young virgin in her teens to bring peace on the earth, and peace between God and man. One cannot think of a greater gift than this.
How can we have peace?
Religion is man trying to reach up to God to make peace.
But God is interested in a relationship with man and has reached down to us in Jesus.
John wrote in 1 John 4:10, “This is real love—not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.”
If you are yet to experience His peace, do speak to a Pastor or a Church Leader.
Isaiah the prophet wrote 700 years earlier, “Yet it was our weaknesses He carried; it was our sorrows that weighed Him down. And we thought His troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for His own sins! But He was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed” (Isaiah 53:45 NLT; emphasis added).
Jesus was sent by God to give His life for us on the cross so that we can be forgiven for our sins and healed of our pain and sicknesses.
This is real love.
This Christmas I wish you great joy as you experience God’s peace, and the healing given to us in His Son—Jesus.
Imagine their surprise and perhaps their shock at this sudden occurrence. The Jews had not heard from God through a prophet for four hundred years. But they had been expecting a messiah of sorts to free them from oppression under the Romans. They would not have imagined that this announcement was going to be made to them in this fashion. Angels were giving glory to God and saying that there will be peace on earth to those who please God. Peace on earth!
Are you experiencing this peace?
Even though our life on earth is a tiny blip on the time scale of eternity, God is concerned about peace on earth. And now!
Jesus the Son of God was born on this earth to a young virgin in her teens to bring peace on the earth, and peace between God and man. One cannot think of a greater gift than this.
How can we have peace?
Religion is man trying to reach up to God to make peace.
But God is interested in a relationship with man and has reached down to us in Jesus.
John wrote in 1 John 4:10, “This is real love—not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.”
If you are yet to experience His peace, do speak to a Pastor or a Church Leader.
Isaiah the prophet wrote 700 years earlier, “Yet it was our weaknesses He carried; it was our sorrows that weighed Him down. And we thought His troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for His own sins! But He was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed” (Isaiah 53:45 NLT; emphasis added).
Jesus was sent by God to give His life for us on the cross so that we can be forgiven for our sins and healed of our pain and sicknesses.
This is real love.
This Christmas I wish you great joy as you experience God’s peace, and the healing given to us in His Son—Jesus.
