The Man Whose Entry Changed History’s Course

A while back, I wrote about why we are to rejoice because the Lord of history knows us. However, I only got to explain who this Lord of history is and how he earned that title. Today, my hope with this article is to paint a picture of how this Lord of history came to earth and changed history for the better. So, let’s dive in.

Why Do We Celebrate Our Lord?

Christmas is almost here. During this season, we celebrate the birth of a man who lived more than 2000 years ago. Many other people are also celebrated. However, none has stood the test of time while at the same time being as widely celebrated as Christ. Why so? Unlike the others, we go out of our way to celebrate someone who, by all accounts, seemed quite insignificant at the time of his death. Looking into history as told in the gospels, we read of how Christ confessed that he had nowhere to lay his head (Matthew 8:20). We also read of how he died as a criminal (Galatians 3:10-14). Clearly, Christ seemed much less significant compared to the Roman emperors, yet, unlike them, he transcended time itself.

As we saw in the previous article, only Christ can boast of being the man who split time. People who once persecuted his followers eventually ended up devoting their lives to him (Philippians 3:1-11, 2 Corinthians 11:22-12:10, Galatians 1:11-2:21). People who stubbornly thought they knew better proclaimed Christ and suffered for Him (1 Peter 1:3-9, Acts 2:14-41; Acts 5:17-42). How could a man with 12 unlearned followers (Acts 4:13) have started a religion that has stayed the course for over 2000 years? This is despite the fact that it wasn’t supposed to (Acts 5:34-38). 

The Extraordinary Nature of Christ

Well, the answer to all those questions can’t be found in the ordinary. As I have said, even men who were and are considered extraordinary couldn’t transcend time the way He did. Therefore, the only logical conclusion we can come to is that he was and is beyond man. As Gamaliel (Paul’s teacher – Acts 22:3) said, when the apostles were arrested, if the Christ they proclaimed was of God, nothing they did could stop their message (Acts 5:39). He concluded by saying that they would be fighting God himself. 

Indeed, only One who isn’t bound by time could forever alter the course of history. Only the One who had the exact imprint of God as well as being his image could have the power to split time (Philippians 2:6-11, Hebrews 1:1-14, Colossians 1:15-20). Only the One with all authority over the world upholds it by the word of his power. He has also overcome it while also being its Creator, guaranteeing hope to his followers even in their suffering (Hebrews 1:1-3, Matthew 28:18-20, Colossians 1:16, John 16:33). To cap it, this man is the Only-begotten Son of God through whom we have life (John 3:16, Romans 6:3-11). We await his return, for him to take us who love his appearing (Hebrews 9:26-28).

In the coming sections, I will examine what Christ did to change history through two central portions of Scripture: Romans 5:1-17 and 2 Corinthians 5:11-21.

Reconciliation 

Firstly, we must come to terms with the fact that it is God with whom we were at enmity (Romans 5:1). As Ephesians 2:11-13 shows, particularly focusing on the Gentiles, we were separated from Christ and without God. This means we were children of wrath, for we lived our lives without God (Ephesians 2:1-3). However, Romans 5:1 shows why Jesus had to enter the world, as it is only through him that we have peace with God. Paul continues by saying that it is only through Christ that we are reconciled with the Father (Romans 5:10-11). Instead of being enemies of God as we once were, the entry of Christ into the world started us on the path to reconciliation. Now, we are at peace with God and are his children with the right to call him ‘Abba Father’ (Romans 8:12-17).

Through Christ, God doesn’t count our trespasses against us because of the ministry of reconciliation Christ offered (2 Corinthians 5:18-19). This ministry was made possible through Jesus’ blood on the cross (Colossians 1:20). Therefore, through Christ’s death, the separation between us and God due to our sinful nature has been severed. To understand how severed we were from God, consider how even the best of men in the Old Testament could see their unworthiness in light of God’s glory (Exodus 3:3-6, Isaiah 6:1-5, Habakkuk 3:16). Yet now the promise to us is that through Christ we are to be presented holy and blameless before God (Colossians 1:21-22, Jude 1:24-25). Knowing that I am now reconciled to my Creator and can call him Father is comforting.

Grace

We were children of wrath, walking according to the course of this world. We were also subject to the prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2:1-3). How was it possible for Christ to even consider reconciling us to God? As Paul wrote, that was possible because of the grace that Christ came with into the world (Romans 5:15). We are presented holy and blameless before the Father because of the grace of Jesus Christ, which abounded for many. To the Ephesians, Paul wrote that we are only saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:5, 8). We see that also emphasised in his letter to the Romans (Romans 5:17), where he wrote that we are counted righteous because of the abundance of grace brought to us through Jesus Christ. In short, if Christ hadn’t come, we wouldn’t have been saved or considered righteous.

Life Anew 

Romans 5:12-14 shows us that because we came from Adam, we are subject to death. He echoes this in Ephesians 2:1-3, explaining how we are dead in our sins and trespasses; hence, Christ had to come if we were to be brought back to life. Thankfully, he came and indeed brought us back to life through his life, death and resurrection. Additionally, apart from just getting us back to life, as 2 Corinthians 5:17 shows, he made us into new creatures. He gave us life anew. 

Thus, it is only through Christ’s incarnation that we have new life. For when he died, we died with him; when he rose, we rose with him in righteousness. Now, through him, we have been made alive to God (Romans 6:4-11). Therefore, the old has gone, and a new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17). Through Christ’s one act of righteousness, all who believe in him have been made alive to God (Romans 5:18). For in him we have been made righteous, and since we are no longer slaves to sin, death doesn’t reign over us (Romans 5:21; 6:15-23).

Justification 

We deserved judgment and wrath. Yet, through Christ, we have been granted mercy (Ephesians 2:3-7) because he came and did the will of his Father (John 6:38-40). Since he perfectly subjected himself to his Father’s will, we are considered justified on account of our faith in him (Romans 3:28; 5:16, 18). To be justified simply means we are now considered right before God. However, the judgment and wrath we deserved had to be wrought on someone else. This is why Jesus had to come and take our place. As Hebrews 2:9 shows, it is because he tasted death for us that he can call us brothers (Hebrews 2:10-13). To do so, he had to become like us in every respect (Hebrews 2:17). 

We are now justified because he carried our sins and entered the holy place on our behalf (Hebrews 9:24, 1 John 2:1-2).

Righteousness 

Not only are we justified through his entry into the world, but we are also made righteous. As the famous verse goes, “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). It is through the one man, Adam, that sin entered the world. However, we have the free gift of righteousness through Christ; through this, we are justified (Romans 5:17-18). This is what we call imputation, which simply means we are counted righteous through Jesus Christ. We could never stand before a thrice holy God (Isaiah 6:3, Revelation 4:8). 

However, because of Christ, we are looking forward to the day we will be told, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant’ (Matthew 25:21). Not only that, but there is laid up for us the crown of righteousness (2 Timothy 4:7-8). A crown that God himself will award to us on that day.

Life Eternal 

On this day, when Christ returns, we who loved Christ’s appearing will be told: enter into the joy of your master (Matthew 25:21). We are promised a life in which every tear will be wiped away. A life where there will be no mourning, crying or pain anymore (Revelation 21:4). This will be life eternal. Because of the righteousness we have through Christ, we look ahead to the time when we will reign in life with him (Romans 5:17). We are no longer condemned. We will reign in life eternal because the Lord of history chose to enter our world.

Therefore, examine yourself. Are you living a life honouring Christ, the man who completely changed history? I pray that you will get to celebrate this Christmas with a renewed understanding of this Christ who we celebrate. Because of the price he paid for your sake, commit to living your life in honour of him who died for you (2 Corinthians 5:16, Galatians 2:20). Seek him, and he will give you the grace you need to offer your life as a living sacrifice to him (Romans 12:1).

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