The miracle baby whose birth we celebrate on Christmas grew into the Savior Who took our sins to the cross. But in between birth and death was the life of a boy wonder! Mary and Joseph walked obediently in God’s will and raised Jesus to fulfill God’s plan for Him. In the same way, the Lord asks us to respond to our Savior by walking in obedience and surrendering our lives to Him.

Christmas is a celebration of Jesus’ birth, but in a way, it’s also a reminder of His sacrifice. Just as He was wrapped up in swaddling clothes as a baby when He was first declared the Messiah, He was later wrapped and buried after His death — a death He died all so that we could have eternal life. God offers us the gift of salvation, wrapped up in His Son — and all we have to do is reach out and receive it.

Mary wasn’t perfect. And yet, God used her to bring His Son into the world. After Mary gave birth to Jesus, she continued to be faithful and followed Old Testament law by bringing fowls to the temple to be sacrificed. But she also brought something of far greater importance: she brought the Lamb of God, who would become the ultimate sacrifice and take away the sins of the world.

In the book of Exodus, we read how the Israelites needed the blood of a spotless lamb to save themselves from physical death. Today, we need the blood of God’s spotless Lamb — Jesus — to save us from spiritual death. And when we understand there’s nothing else that can save us but the blood of Christ, we realize how important it is to share that news with others.

God’s perfect standard requires that a sacrifice be made to atone for our sin. Where that sacrifice was once a literal lamb, Jesus came to serve as the proverbial Lamb who paid the price for the sin of the entire world. We can choose to continue carrying our own guilt and shame, knowing we can never repay the debt that we owe, or we can accept the gift of freedom that Jesus offered us when He took our sin to the cross.

You’ve probably heard the term G.O.A.T — Greatest Of All Time — tossed around when it comes to describing the accomplishments of famous actors, athletes, or musicians. But the Bible clearly tells us that the actual G.O.A.T. was, in fact, a Lamb: the Lamb of God. Jesus was, is, and forever will be the King of Kings, Lord of Lords, and the Greatest Of All Time. The only question is: what are we going to do about it?

God’s perfect standard requires that a sacrifice be made to atone for our sin. Where that sacrifice was once a literal lamb, Jesus came to serve as the proverbial Lamb who paid the price for the sin of the entire world. We can choose to continue carrying our own guilt and shame, knowing we can never repay the debt that we owe, or we can accept the gift of freedom that Jesus offered us when He took our sin to the cross.

When it comes to being silent even amidst suffering, Jesus was the perfect example — and the perfect sacrifice. He willingly endured death for our sake. When suffering comes our way, one of two things will happen: God will either shear us from the “fluff” of our lives, or He’ll defend us from the enemy that seeks to come against us.