Wednesday; December 22

I recently read an article that caused some mixed emotions. According to an story in Christianity Today by Aaron Earls, most people believe that Jesus was born in Bethlehem more than 2000 years ago. According to Lifeway Research, 95% of Christians and 72% of adults in the U. S. believe in the historical presence of Jesus. That’s the good news. The other side of the coin are the beliefs about Jesus’ presence before coming to earth. While 98% of Christians and 80% of American adults believe Jesus is the Son of God, only 63% of Christians and 41% of adults in the U. S. believe that the Son of God existed before Jesus was born.

Like with most statistics, the raw data is just that – facts. The important part is what we do with them. While it would be easy to lament the lack of belief in the eternal nature of the Son of God, I think there is hope. Since the majority of people already believe in Jesus, our job is much easier than it could be. Given this baseline belief, we can start working on filling in the gaps of faith to remind people that, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8).
It is popular – even in today’s society – to accept the wonderful story of the birth of Jesus. As Christians, let’s build on that faith and help people restore Jesus to His rightful place as Eternal King of the world and Lord of our lives.

Think About It!

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