Vital Signs: Sunday, December 8, 2024

“But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” - ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭53:5‬ ‭KJV‬‬

The Cost of Christmas

Jesus came to earth to give us the gifts of acceptance, peace, healing, and forgiveness, but those gifts were not cheap. We could never afford what Jesus came to provide, and thankfully, we don’t have to. God now accepts us, not because of our good behavior, but because Jesus paid the price by experiencing the greatest rejection on our behalf. The prophet Isaiah called our sins “transgressions” and “iniquities”—essentially, our crimes and our wickedness. Those sins created a debt we could never repay, but Jesus, in His perfection, could.

As Jesus chose to be born into a world where He would be bruised and crushed, He brought us peace and healing.

God’s great exchange: Jesus’ life for all of ours. Jesus knew the cost of Christmas, and He embraced it. Will we?