“For, there is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time.” (1 Timothy 2:5–6 NLT)

 

One way to prepare for Christmas is to consider the long-reaching implications of the Incarnation. There’s a reason that human history is split into two eras: before Christ’s birth and after. Nothing was ever the same again.

One implication of Jesus’ coming that rarely gets mentioned at Christmastime is found in John 14:6. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me” (NLT).

The apostle Paul put it this way: “For, there is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time” (1 Timothy 2:5–6 NLT).

When God sent His Son into the world to fulfill His plan of salvation, He eliminated the possibility that there is any other path to Him. Jesus alone can bridge the gulf that sin created between us and God. Jesus alone can give us eternal life.

One of the most frequently asked questions regarding the Christian faith goes something like this: “What about the person who has never heard that Jesus is the only way to God? What about the person in the middle of the jungle who has never heard the gospel?” (The person in question is almost always in a jungle for some reason.)

The teaching that Jesus Christ is the only way to God has never been popular. But it’s never been more controversial than it is today. If you want to get someone’s blood boiling, quote John 14:6 or 1 Timothy 2:5–6. The “Coexist” bumper sticker on their car will catch fire.

To say that Jesus is the only way to God is, in effect, to have the audacity to say that other religions are not true. That’s the way the spiritual equation works itself out, and people don’t like it. It’s acceptable to say that Jesus is a way to God. But when you dare to say that He is the only way, then you can be certain that you’ll have some pushback.

But here’s what it comes down to. As believers, we have to say what the Bible says, whether it’s popular or not. It’s not for us to edit the message of the Bible. Our responsibility is simply to deliver the message.

Otherwise, it would be like a doctor who discovers a very serious problem with a patient’s health but then is unwilling to say what the problem is, out of concern that it might make the patient uncomfortable.

We must tell people the truth about their real condition, which happens to be sinful, and then seek to save them, which is to point them to Jesus Christ as the only solution.

 

Reflection question: How can you share the Good News about Jesus this Christmas season? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

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