Jesus told many stories with a hidden meaning which are called parables. In one of the parables He tells of a sheep that wandered from the fold and the Shepherd left the flock and kept searching until he found the lost sheep. May be he had to climb over the rugged terrain to find the sheep that had fallen down into a place where it could not save itself. The Shepherd who was willing to risk his life to save the sheep and climbed down to right where the sheep was. He gathered up the lost sheep and carried it back to the fold.

 Christians recognise that they are like the lost sheep. “We all like sheep have gone astray.” (Isaiah 53 v 6) We are cut off from God and unable to find our way back to Him on our own. Many today think that they can find God by them selves but Jesus says that is not possible. “No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14 v 6)  “For God so loved the world that He sent His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life”. (John 3 v 16). If we could save ourselves God would not have needed to send his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ into our world to save us.

 So Jesus came, something that we remember every year at Christmas. He lived a perfect life, taught about His Father in heaven and then went to the cross to die in our place for our sin. Wonderfully God raised Him from the dead and the way back to God was opened to all who come to Him. “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10 v13)

 We become Christians when we put our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. When we recognise that we are “sinners” and that Jesus Christ has died for our sin. God then promises to send us His Holy Spirit to be with us and gives us the wonderful assurance that we are His for ever.

 You can find out more about Jesus in the Bible. Many start by reading one of the gospels in the New Testament part of the Bible. The Gospel of Mark is a good starting point.

  

 Gerald Hall (2010)

Snettisham Christian Fellowship