Jesus Came to Save us from Our Sins

Jesus is the eternal word, who took to himself a true human nature, and was born of a virgin. Jesus did this to save us from our sins. The incarnation is truly a wonder of wonders, but one implication of our Lord’s birth the first Christmas often goes unspoken. If Jesus is the only savior and salvation can be found in no one else, then Christianity is the only true religion and we as Christians are making the claim that all other religions are false no matter how sincere non-Christians may be, and despite how much self-flattery and false comfort these religions bring to their adherents. But to dare say such a thing (and to make such an exclusive claim to truth) is to commit the unpardonable sin in modern America. So this implication which arises from Jesus’ birth is a point well-worth considering now that Christmas has come and gone. The birth of Jesus Christ—that mere babe in the manger—changes everything, for Christians and non-Christians alike.

We are not the first Christians to face these implications of Christmas and we won’t be the last. In fact, the uniqueness of Jesus Christ and the importance of his incarnation as a truth claim becomes clear in the opening chapters of the Book of Acts when the apostles begin proclaiming the gospel to the Jews. Jesus had been crucified and buried just weeks earlier, although his followers believed that he had risen from the dead.

Better Than Silver or Gold

The first 22 verses of Acts chapter 4 record some of the fall-out associated with the dramatic events which just transpired in Acts 3, where we read that near the gate called “beautiful” (which was between the inner and outer court of the Jerusalem temple), Peter and John encountered a man who had been handicapped from birth. When this man (who survived by begging for alms) asked Peter and John for money, we read in Acts 3:4ff that . . .

Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, `Look at us.’ And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, `I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!’ And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. And leaping up he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God.

Those who knew the man and had passed him daily came running to see what was going on. According to Luke, the people “were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.”

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