We all love Santa Claus, don't we? Especially if he gives gifts to us or our kids! But did you know that while this fun tradition is good in a sense, it has also concealed the truth behind Christmas to an extent. Christmas is not about Santa. It's about Jesus Christ, the Saviour of mankind. While the gifts that Santa gives to kids are perishable, the gift of salvation that God gives through Jesus is everlasting. Here are some interesting facts about Jesus and the Bible:
- There are 332 prophecies in the Bible about Jesus Christ.
- These include his virgin birth, his birthplace, how he was wrapped as a baby (in a white cloth meant to wrap dead bodies - 'Kafan' in Urdu - because he came to die for us), his sinless life, the exact day of his entering Jerusalem riding on a donkey, his death on the Cross, burial in a rich man's tomb, resurrection, ascension to Heaven and even his return for the battle at Armageddon.
- All of these have come true so far. His return is expected too, as all other prophecies till the present time have been fulfilled.
- The Bible contains 8,000 promises.
- 27% of the Bible is prophetic - meaning, that 27% (8,352) of all (31,124) its verses give a total of 1,817 prophecies, all of which have come true so far.
- The Bible predicted thousands of years ago that the nation of Israel would be re-established exactly on 14th May, 1948 and also that it would regain Jerusalem precisely in 1967.
- The principle of quarantine to prevent the spread of contagious diseases was discovered from the Bible.
- The Bible mentioned thousands of years ago, that the Earth is suspended in outer space - long before Columbus discovered this and Copernicus "formulated a heliocentric model of the universe which placed the Sun, rather than the Earth, at the center"!*
- The Bible mentioned thousands of years ago, that the stars in space are innumerable, even though this was discovered by Galileo only a few centuries ago. Until then, people used to believe that there were only a thousand odd stars in the universe!
- This same Bible says that all humans have sinned and fall short of God's glory. But as we ourselves sinned, we cannot pay the price required for the forgiveness of our sins. If we die in our sins, God would have no option but to send us to hell for eternity, because he is a just God (perfect judge). So if we were to get to Heaven where God lives, someone had to pay the price on our behalf. As no one else was worthy, God sent His only begotten Son Jesus as a human being, letting him die on the Cross to pay our penalty and then God raised him from the dead back to life, 3 days later. He has not died since then - he is alive and in Heaven right now. He ascended to Heaven 40 days after his resurrection from the dead.
- God worked out this plan for our salvation because He is a just God, yet a loving God. He had to punish sin while leaving the way open for the sinner to be set free. And that salvation plan is found in Jesus.
- Jesus is the only person in history so far who has met all the criteria required for a sacrificial Saviour: first-born male, without sin or defect, sacrificed on the Jewish 'Passover' festival day (Good Friday)...
- The Bible also says that if you confess that you too have sinned, that you cannot save yourself and ask Jesus to save you, he will really save you (your spirit - atma - rooh). His blood will wash away your sin. All you need to do is pray a simple prayer for salvation with a true repentant heart, accepting him as your only Saviour and Lord. Click here to see what that prayer is.
If you are to trust your family's future into the hands of an insurance company, which one would you choose - one that does not have any record of honouring any claim, or one which has honoured a claim in the past - just as it had promised? Of course, the latter! Now if you are to trust your eternal destiny into the hands of someone, then into whose hands would you trust it? Someone who has never come as a human being and understood your pain? Someone who died and you have never heard of them after that? Or into the hands of someone who died, rose again from the dead and has not died again - and thereby fulfilled hundreds of prophecies and promises? Again, of course the latter!
Well, my friend, the only real historical person who fits in that category is Jesus Christ. I am not trying to convert your religion. Christianity is not a religion. Jesus' biggest enemies were the religious leaders of his day. It's not a question of "my god is bigger than your god" - it's a question of where you want to spend eternity. I urge you that you study the material I am linking to below, and thoughtfully consider praying the salvation prayer - knowing that you will be accountable before God for praying or not praying it. Jesus asked his followers only to preach the Gospel (Good News of forgiveness of sins and eternal life with God in Heaven - all for free!). He did not ask us to convert anybody.
So remember, God has given you a free volition. He has not given you the right to make the wrong choice, but He has given you the power to make the wrong choice or the correct choice. Just like how we have the power to abide by the law of the land or to break it, but we do not have the right to break it. So, then…
If you have doubts, rush to www.allaboutgod.com.
To learn more about the Bible, click here.
To pray the salvation prayer, click here.
God bless you…and have a Blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year!
