Born to Save

“She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

Matthew 1:21  

When I sketched the composition for Mary holding the Christ Child, I wanted to convey that the Child was from a divine realm, or a different plain, and not from the earthiness of his surroundings. So, I drew the “light of heaven” resting on him.

In contrast, I anchored Mary firmly to earth, making the folds of her garment become the dirt hills that lead to Calvary. The connection of Christ’s birth and death is not a gloomy shadow on what otherwise would be a happy day. No, Jesus was born to save us from our sins.  

The Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy saying, “The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15, ESV). As we observe Jesus’s birth, let’s remember it in the context of his death and resurrection. Only as we consider the purpose of his coming does our celebration brim with joy and meaning!    

Lord Jesus, thank you for coming into the world to save me from my sins. Thank you that you did not despise the low position of coming as an infant nor the humiliation of death on the cross. As I celebrate your birth today, may I live in new awareness of your love for me.