The sublime purpose of the birth of Jesus was the Redemption of humanity. Our Saviour bore the penalty of the sins of all mankind on the Cross so that those who believe in Him would be reunited with God the Father. Many describe this Redemption as the Divine Exchange which provided mankind with the gift of Salvation.
And so now, redeemed as we are, what is our response to this ultimate gift of heaven?
In Acts 1:8, Jesus says, “But when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will be filled with power, and you will be witnesses for me in Jerusalem, in all of Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” The sacrament of Confirmation has bestowed on us the privilege and responsibility to be living witnesses of Jesus’ message of unconditional love to the world. Indeed, we are called to be His witnesses! However, most often we feel intimidated by this call and struggle to faithfully witness about Jesus to those who don’t know him. We love the Lord yet keep the faith to ourselves without sharing it.
More often than not, Christians are ineffective witnesses because we think we need more training in evangelism. But that’s usually not true. Christ’s redemptive work is not only limited to evangelism, but it encompasses everything necessary to make the world what God always intended it to be. Sharing the Good News of the Kingdom of Heaven to our brethren in all walks of life and leading them to find a true friend in Jesus is an effective way to being a witness to Christ’s redemptive work.
It definitely is a lifelong journey to truly understand and walk in the redemption that Jesus has graciously gifted us. The ways of the world run contrary to Jesus and it is a spiritual fight. Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. When we have Him at the center of our lives, the bonds of fear and uncertainty to profess our faith will no longer exist.
Each Christmas season is a reminder of God’s most wonderful and ultimate gift to us. May our own gifts to Jesus Christ be ones in which we represent Him well, giving Him our devotion, our time, our desire to know Him more through His Word and our willingness to share His sacrificial love and compassion. May the doors of Faith be thrown open to humanity through our witnessing in Christ!
Mrs. Nancy Fernandes