Christmas Journeys

Christmas is a time for travel. It always has been. Nowadays, we travel home to be with family or friends. 2,000 years ago Mary and Joseph walked the 80 miles from Nazareth where they lived, to Bethlehem, their ancestral home. They were given no choice for Caesar Augustus had made his famous decree.

After the birth of Jesus, the shepherds travelled from the nearby hills where they had been guarding their sheep, to worship the baby.

They went to the manger in Bethlehem because angels had come from heaven to announce to them that a baby had been born who was the Saviour, Christ the Lord.

Wise men from the East made their way, hundreds of miles following the star, to give gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to Jesus.

Because of the jealous rage of Herod threatening to kill Jesus, Joseph and Mary, with their child had to escape as refugees to Egypt, waiting there til Herod died and they could return to Nazareth, where Jesus was to grow up.

But the greatest journey of all, was Jesus coming from the heart of heaven to live on this earth, be taken to a cross and there die, paying for our sins.

He did so because, as God, He had seen the rottenness of the world, and the consequences of our human rebellion against Him our Creator. Human beings, whether proud and self-righteous feeling we don’t need God, or proud and atheistic saying we don’t want God, are each guilty of pushing God to the edge of our thinking.

Our breaking of God’s commandments has cut us off from Him. Sin is serious.

Jesus dealt with it by His death on the cross. He had taught amazing truths, healed needy people and above all, lived a totally pure life. It was by His death that He made a way for us to be forgiven, as He carried on Himself the sins of which we are guilty, that would condemn us.

All over the world people have made the greatest journey of their lives when they have gone to Christ in their hearts and minds and asked the risen, living Jesus to become their Lord and Saviour. Jesus said, “Come to me all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

As a result, Jesus has given to them forgiveness, a relationship with Himself, joy and peace, and the promise of eternity with Himself in heaven.

One day you and I will make the ultimate journey to meet our Maker, God.

When the news goes around that we have “gone” the issue will be “gone where?” Gone to heaven or to hell?

There is only one way to know God now, and then to be with Him forever in heaven. We need to trust Jesus as our Lord and Saviour.

We need to “make the journey” to Jesus, asking Him to forgive us, to live within us, then to take us through life to be with Him in eternity.

This journey is absolutely essential.

Perhaps you want to know more about how you can come to know God in a personal way? Then I recommend reading the Bible for yourself. For a free copy of a Gospel (a biography of Jesus that is part of the Bible) or for information about what it means to be a real Christian, complete the form below.