Jesus Had To Do It

I couldn’t have done it.

You couldn’t have either.

Angels couldn’t do it.

In fact, no one who has ever been born or created could do it.

Only Jesus could make an everlasting covenant with God that would include us!

Do you remember the blood covenant God made with Abraham (Genesis 17)? How many incidents are recorded of Abraham’s descendants breaking that covenant, even while God was upholding it? Too many to count, and that required succeeding priests to make endless sacrifices for their atonement—until Jesus came!

“Wherefore in all things it behoved [was necessary for] him to be made like unto his brethren [He had to], that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people” Hebrews 2:17.

There never has been nor will there ever be one who could achieve the requirements for our redemption other than Jesus. The young virgin, Mary, didn’t have an incidental birth of a baby boy conceived as the Holy Ghost overshadowed her; it had been planned from the foundation of the world. It was no accident that she was espoused to Joseph; he had been chosen from the beginning to be the earthly father-figure to rear this God-baby. This baby would grow into the Man with whom our Heavenly Father would make a New Everlasting Covenant that would cover the world for the redemption of all who would receive it. His sacrifice would be all inclusive and complete as He offered His sacrificial blood at Calvary to ratify the New Covenant once for all, for all time.

“…Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14).

Jesus is the only one with whom God could lock in an unbreakable covenant. He is the only one who could uphold His end of the covenant as firmly as the Father. Their covenant is secure! Because Jesus keeps covenant, He was able to secure us as well. By grace, our acceptance of Jesus’ settlement for our sins made us acceptable “children of God.” It’s almost too much to digest! To think that I am no longer responsible for my sin, and Jesus is! To consider that He willingly assumed the responsibility—and the penalty, paid it in full and absolved me—what unspeakable Love! what Mercy! What Grace!

This is what Christmas is! For this purpose, Jesus came—to die! To redeem us! When we celebrate His birth, we are celebrating His death, burial and resurrection—in our place—as well. He left nothing undone; the Divine Plan was carried out to its completion and fulfilled all that the prophets had foretold.

“He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities” (Isaiah 53:11).

When your Christmas card arrives with a crèche on the front, let it remind you that there could never be an acceptable scene with a substitute baby or animal in the manger. It would be blasphemy, and the shepherds and wise men who came to worship would be idolaters. To look to anyone or anything other than Jesus Christ as the propitiation for our sins is to miss the mark completely. There is no other; there will never be another. It is eternally Jesus alone, not Jesus plus anyone or anything! Just Jesus!

Jesus had to do it!

“From the manger to the cross, rugged cross of Calvary

The road that Jesus walked for you and me all alone

By the world forsaken, still He shed His blood for me

From the manger to the cross, the rugged cross of Calvary”

(From “From the Manger to the Cross” by O’Dell McLeod)