Believe

In Luke 18, after a rich young ruler walked away from the greatest gift in the world, Jesus addressed his twelve disciples. Rather than elaborate on the young man’s departure, Jesus prophesied about his own death and resurrection.Christmas creates a crisis of sorts — a series of questions. Is Jesus the Messiah, the Christ (God’s anointed rescuer of sinful humanity), or not? Is Jesus, the one born in Bethlehem and placed in a feeding trough, truly the eternal Son of God? Can Jesus forgive sin and grant eternal life? Is he the only way to the Father rather than one of many ways? The response to each of these is to believe, and this belief is based on the fulfillment of prophecies concerning Christ’s birth, death, and bodily resurrection.One of the purposes for Luke providing “an orderly account” is that we “may have certainty concerning the things” we “have been taught” about Jesus (Luke 1:3-4). John said his purpose is “that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:31).