“Whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.” – Romans 3:25
A propitiation is a sacrifice necessary to satisfy the righteous anger of God. This is what Jesus entered our world to be. As you rush around this Christmas season, contemplate the truth that that baby born in Bethlehem came to be a propitiation by His blood. His innocent, sinless blood. The blood of Jesus Who is fully God and fully human is the blood required to satisfy God’s righteous anger for your sins and the sins of the world.
God was patient and long suffering in the face of mankind’s stubborn rebellion and sin. Why? Because He had a plan. Before time began, God knew that you would sin and that everyone else would too. So, He had a plan. When the time was right and the world was ready, God sent His eternal Son into the world as a human baby who grew up to be an incredible man before becoming a necessary propitiation.
God is righteous. He will not ignore sin forever. He is also merciful, gracious, patient, and kind. For this reason, He gave us a gift. A child. His child. He gave Jesus to teach, to lead, to love, to die, and to rise from death. This gift can only be received by faith in Jesus, the gift, the propitiation, the Savior, the Lord. #FollowJesus