God makes many promises in the Bible.
It’s important to know these promises by reading the Bible. Don’t just believe what people tell you. Some of them are wrong.
But, once we start reading the Bible, we find one promise that is the main thing.
That is, God promises a Savior by whom we can be forgiven of our sins, receive eternal life and become part of God’s family.
And this Savior came to our world about two thousand years ago.
Joseph and Mary were an engaged couple in Israel.
But Mary became pregnant by the Holy Spirit before they were married. God had caused her pregnancy.
An angel then spoke to Joseph in a dream. He said, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
Jesus’ birth was promised four hundred years before it happened. God spoke to Isaiah the prophet and said, “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).
And that is the Christmas story. Christmas celebrates God keeping his promise to send a Savior, Jesus.
Jesus was born of God by the Holy Spirit. He was also born of Mary. Thus Jesus was both God and man.
Jesus’ life proved he was both God and man. He calmed the sea, healed the sick, cured blindness and forgave sins. Only God could do such things. Jesus was also tired, thirsty and hungry. He was a truly a man.
Jesus lived a perfect life free of sin. He was thus qualified to die for our sins for he had none of his own.
And Jesus did die on a cross as punishment for our sins.
God raised him from the dead three days later. This proved Jesus had satisfied God’s judgment for sin.
Now all who repent and trust Jesus as their Savior are forgiven. Jesus died in their place. God sees them as righteous as Jesus. They are part of God’s family. They will spend eternity in heaven with Jesus and all who have likewise trusted him.
Jesus went back to heaven after his resurrection.
But he promised to return to earth.
He will come back for all who have trusted him, both the living and those who have died.
Jesus promised, “In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”
Jesus will later return again to judge the world for sin. Eventually the world we know will be destroyed and a new earth will be God’s kingdom forever.
But the main thing now is to be ready for Jesus’ first return. It could happen any moment.
We can be ready by trusting Jesus today.
Bible references: Matthew 1:18-25; Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 8:23-26; Matthew 4:24-25; 11:5-7; 9:2; 27-28; Acts 10:43; John 1:12; Acts 1:9; John 14:2-3; 2 Peter 3:10-13; Revelation 21-22.