The Cure
Naming a new baby can be a challenging process, and not just for the parent. It can be hard for the child who has to live with the results of that choice. Mary and Joseph were spared this challenge because this important matter was decided by God and his decision was delivered by angel. “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). The name, Jesus, literally means, “God saves.” Jesus’ name highlights his mission in life - to save us. But save us from what?
There are some pretty horrendous viruses loose in the world. Ebola keeps rearing its ugly head in some parts of Africa. HIV is still around. The really frightening thing I read recently is that 90% of the people who are infected with HIV don’t know it. And then, of course, there is COVID, which has taken over 16,000 lives in Australia so far. Bad though these diseases are, there is one that is far worse. I’m calling it the sin virus. Sin has infected 100% of people and without treatment it is invariably fatal. And here again is the really frightening part - 90% of people don’t know they have it.
The symptoms of this virus are everywhere: relationship breakdown, domestic violence, drug and alcohol addiction, child abuse, lying, stealing, racism, greed and exploitation, the worship of money... The way I see it, unless the sin virus is cured, it will wreck our lives in this world and separate us from God forever.
But the good news is that there is a cure. God sent it through a baby, his son, born into a Bethlehem manger on the first Christmas. How do we get the cure? First, we need to recognize that we have a real problem. Second, we need to accept that it’s not going away and we can’t fix it ourselves. We need help. And third, we need to get the jab, or grab hold of Jesus as our Saviour or cure. That’s why he came. That’s why he was given the name, “God saves.” Jesus, born in Bethlehem, is the Son of God who sacrificed his perfect life so that we could be saved, or cured, from the disease of sin forever. What better Christmas gift could we receive?
Neil Percival – Young District Anglican Ministry
There are some pretty horrendous viruses loose in the world. Ebola keeps rearing its ugly head in some parts of Africa. HIV is still around. The really frightening thing I read recently is that 90% of the people who are infected with HIV don’t know it. And then, of course, there is COVID, which has taken over 16,000 lives in Australia so far. Bad though these diseases are, there is one that is far worse. I’m calling it the sin virus. Sin has infected 100% of people and without treatment it is invariably fatal. And here again is the really frightening part - 90% of people don’t know they have it.
The symptoms of this virus are everywhere: relationship breakdown, domestic violence, drug and alcohol addiction, child abuse, lying, stealing, racism, greed and exploitation, the worship of money... The way I see it, unless the sin virus is cured, it will wreck our lives in this world and separate us from God forever.
But the good news is that there is a cure. God sent it through a baby, his son, born into a Bethlehem manger on the first Christmas. How do we get the cure? First, we need to recognize that we have a real problem. Second, we need to accept that it’s not going away and we can’t fix it ourselves. We need help. And third, we need to get the jab, or grab hold of Jesus as our Saviour or cure. That’s why he came. That’s why he was given the name, “God saves.” Jesus, born in Bethlehem, is the Son of God who sacrificed his perfect life so that we could be saved, or cured, from the disease of sin forever. What better Christmas gift could we receive?
Neil Percival – Young District Anglican Ministry