[Christmas Comes With a Choice]( Current Teaching Series [Behold! The Best News Ever]( [Listen to Today's Broadcast]( [Christmas Comes With a Choice](
By Rick Warren â 12/23/2022 [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Pinterest]( [Email](mailto:?subject=I'd%20like%20to%20share%20a%20Daily%20Devotional%20from%20Pastor%20Rick%20with%20you&body= âBehold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!â John 1:29 (ESV) Redemption is when somebody pays for your sins so that you can be forgiven and walk away justified. They do your time. They pay your penalty. All the things you’ve done wrong are paid for by somebody else. That’s what Jesus Christ did for you. Jesus didnât just come to Earth at Christmas. He also lived a perfect life so that his sacrifice was enough to satisfy Godâs judgment. All of your sins were paid for on the cross. One day, Jesus came from Galilee to be baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan River. When John saw him coming, he announced, âBehold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29 ESV). Every Jewish person knows the symbolism of this verse. Once a year in the Jewish faith, a perfect, spotless lamb was sacrificed at Passover to represent the redemption of the world. After Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sin, there was no longer a need for any symbolic sacrificing of animals. But before Jesusâ death and resurrection, the lamb that was sacrificed for the sin of other people had to be spotless. Only a perfect life was acceptable enough to die for all the peopleâs imperfections. And that is why Jesusâthe Lamb of God, who lived a perfect lifeâcould satisfy the justice of God toward sin through his death. When the religious leaders who wanted to crucify Jesus brought him to Pilate, the Roman governor interviewed Jesus and acknowledged that he was totally innocent: âPilate then called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, and said to them, âYou brought me this man as one who was misleading the people. And after examining him before you, behold, I did not find this man guilty of any of your charges against himââ (Luke 23:13-14 ESV). Pilate found no fault in Jesus. He didnât see any sin or crime that Jesus should be punished for. If you have not acknowledged that Jesus Christ has a right to be Lord over your life, what do you find wrong with him? On what basis do you reject what he did for you? On what grounds do you reject him as your Savior? Pilate gave the people an opportunity to decide what they were going to do with Jesus. After the Roman soldiers tortured Jesus, he âcame out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, âBehold the man!ââ (John 19:5 ESV). Just as the people in Jesusâ day were invited to âbehold the man,â God invites you too to behold Jesus, the one who has taken away every sin youâve ever committed or will commit. Christmas comes with the best news everâand a choice: What are you going to do with Jesus? [PLAY todayâs audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>]( Talk It Over - Do you believe that Jesus has the right to be Lord over your whole life? Why or why not?
- Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus but also points to his crucifixion and resurrection. Why is it important to acknowledge all of those at Christmastime?
- Who can you share the best news ever with this week so that this Christmas becomes the most meaningful one yet for them? What is your choice about Jesus? The Bible says, âIt is by grace you have been saved, through faithâand this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of Godânot by works, so that no one can boastâ (Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV). Christmas offers you a choice. Will you accept Godâs gift of salvation through Jesus or not? If youâre ready to commit your life to him, then pray this prayer: âDear God, I know Iâm a sinner, and I ask for your forgiveness. I believe Jesus Christ is your Son. I believe that he died for my sin and that you raised him to life. Jesus, I want to trust you as my Savior and follow you as Lord from this day forward. Guide my life and help me to do your will. In Jesusâ name I pray. Amen.â If you just prayed to accept Jesus, please email me at Rick@PastorRick.com and let me know about it. Iâd like to send you some free materials to help you start your journey with Jesus. The post [Christmas Comes With a Choice]( appeared first on [Pastor Rick's Daily Hope](. [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Pinterest]( [Email](mailto:?subject=I'd%20like%20to%20share%20a%20Daily%20Devotional%20from%20Pastor%20Rick%20with%20you&body= [Get the brand-new Daily Hope Prayer Journal when you give a gift to support Daily Hope!]( Make prayer time the best time of your day with the brand-new Daily Hope Prayer Journal! This easy-to-carry hardback journal with a soft-touch cover gives you the tools you need to establish a consistent daily prayer time. Itâll help you connect with the Lord and enjoy a vibrant prayer life as you unlock the keys to praying with passion and purpose. Inside youâll find 235 beautifully designed pages filled with: ⢠Practical encouragement for your prayer life from Pastor Rick
⢠Sections that guide you to pray for specific people and situations
⢠Space for writing out what God is showing you
⢠Encouraging Bible verses
⢠Gorgeous artwork and inspiring photos Dive into this yearâs theme, "Connecting with Jesus: The Source of Living Water," and tap into Godâs power and presence as youâre reminded how much God loves you and wants to be an active part of your life. Your generous year-end gift to Daily Hope will be DOUBLED by a $100,000 Matching Grant, helping bring the Good News of Godâs love to every nation on earth. [LEARN MORE]( [Complete Audio Series (Purchase)]( Includes 3 full-length messages from Pastor Rick's series Behold! The Best News Ever. [LEARN MORE]( [Series Summary]( Message 1: Radical Love
Message 2: Christmas is for All People
Message 3: ChristmasâBehold! The Best News Ever [PLAY TODAY'S BROADCAST]( Pastor Rick Warren [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Linkedin]( Enjoy today's devotional? Listen to Pastor Rickâs daily audio teaching at [PastorRick.com]( Did someone forward this devotional to you? [Subscribe to Pastor Rick Warren's Daily Devotional.]( As the founding pastor of Saddleback Church with his wife Kay, Dr. Rick Warren leads a 30,000-member congregation in California with campuses in major cities around the world. As an author, his book [The Purpose Driven Life]( is one of the best-selling nonfiction books in publishing history. It has been translated into 74 languages and sold more than 50 million copies in all formats. His book [The Purpose Driven Church]( was named one of the 100 Christian books that changed the century. Rick also founded [The PEACE Plan]( to address five global issuesâspiritual emptiness, self-serving leadership, poverty, disease, and illiteracyâthrough the power of ordinary people in the local church. You can listen to Pastor Rickâs Daily Hope, his daily 25-minute audio teaching, and sign up for his free daily devotionals at [PastorRick.com](. © 2022 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission. You can unsubscribe by clicking the link below.
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