On December 25th all around the world we celebrate the birth of Jesus. You won’t find that specific date in the Bible, but you will find the foretelling and even details of the birth of Jesus the Christ. Jesus Himself said that He came to fulfill the law (Matthew 5:17-20)
So why celebrate Jesus? Because without Jesus we would still be under the law. Don’t get me wrong, the law is very important because without the law we would not even know that we are sinners, take a look at what Paul wrote about that:
Galatians 3:21-26 ( KJV ) 21Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. 22But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. 23But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. 24Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. 26For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
You see the law began back in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve (the first man and woman) had only one law — not to eat from the tree that was in the middle of the garden (Genesis 3:3). God gave them the law and the consequence of disobedience to the law. He said don’t eat from that tree or you will die. Adam and Eve disobeyed God and so the death sentence was carried out because God is a just God. And after that, every human on earth inherited that sin and the consequence of that sin (Genesis 3:6; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:26).
Since the Garden God gave more laws to the people, beginning with the Ten Commandments that were given by God’s chosen vessel, Moses (Exodus 20:1-17). Then those Ten became more than 600 as the Hebrew people expanded the law into many different categories. Therefore, as time passed it became impossible to keep all of these laws, just as James was writing about in James 2:10.
The fact is that the law was not useless because it showed us our need of a Savior. Someone who could come and pay our sin debt. And this is all the act of a gracious and merciful Heavenly Father who gives everyone a second chance. Our Father gave His only begotten Son — the Perfect Lamb who was crucified, dead and buried according to the scripture and He rose to life on the third day according to scripture (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). God provided a chance for all of us to live beyond the death that was pronounced way back in the Garden.
The Bible says that when we believe in what Jesus did we have eternal life (John 3:36). Then as we believe (by faith of Jesus Christ, Gal 3:22) the law is ended because it has done its job — it (the law) led us the Christ.
And it bears repeating — why celebrate Jesus? Because without Him — without what He did at the cross on Calvary, we would still be under the law, helplessly trying to work our way to Heaven (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Jesus did all the work already when He took the nails. That’s enough for me to Celebrate Jesus.
