The Baby Who Came to Annihilate Death
I saw the flashing blue lights against the dark night long before I neared them. I began making my way over to the next lane of the busy highway and glanced in the direction of the cop cars—there must have been at least ten—to decipher the cause of all this chaos. There weren’t any crushed cars or breakage along the road. What happened? I wondered. And then I saw.
A body, covered in a bloody white sheet. My heart picked up speed, my whole body succumbed to numbness, and my lips involuntarily repeated a lament to God: “Oh God. Oh God!” I was shaken.
Maybe having access to stories like this in the news every day has made me a bit numb to reality, but seeing a tragic death with my own pupils jarred me. I thought about the family of that person and prayed for them. Gripping the steering wheel, I was suddenly aware of how dangerous it was to drive a car. I thought about what my children would do if it were me under that sheet, or their father, my sweet husband. The person under that sheet could have been me and it could have been you. Life truly is a vapor.
When faced with reminders that death will eventually come for each of us, some people brush it off, refusing to think deeply about something that seems far away. Others might start to think about the afterlife. As Christians, we know the truth that every human will either die in his or her sin and go to a literal place called Hell or they will die hidden in Christ and be brought safely into Heaven.
The season of Advent is a sweet time of pondering Jesus’s birth. We gently place a star on the tip of our decked-out tree like the star that hung in the sky around the time he was born (Matt. 2:9). The twinkly lights remind us that the light of life has come to men (John 1:4). The red, green, and plaid wrapped packages point us to the gift given to us by God (John 3:16). But the birth of Jesus should also lead our minds to celebrate and reflect on the truth that he came to annihilate death.
The Hope of Heaven . . .
A while back, my husband and I read Randy Alcorn’s book Heaven. It left me awestruck about what’s to come for those of us who are in Christ. In his chapter about imagining what heaven is like, he says, “In order to get a picture of Heaven—which will one day be centered on the New Earth—you don’t need to look up at the clouds; you simply need to look around you and imagine what all this would be like without sin and death and suffering and corruption” (17).
Heaven is a place of perfection where righteousness rules; it’s a place with no more pain, fear, or death. Can you imagine never sinning again—never having a single envious thought or feeling rage rise up in your heart? Ponder what it would be like to never lose another loved one, face another illness, or cry another tear over a wayward child. Can you fathom living eternally where we will see our Savior face to face? Though we can’t fully grasp the glory ahead of us, we know it will be more breathtaking than we could dream. Charles Spurgeon said, “To come to Thee is to come home from exile, to come to land out of the raging storm, to come to rest after long labour, to come to the goal of my desires and the summit of my wishes” (Morning and Evening, April 25, morning reading).
Today Heaven is a place separate from us and invisible to our eyes, but when Jesus comes again on the last day he will usher in this new heaven and new earth which we long for (Rev. 21:1–4). There will be no trace of sin, suffering, or death. This is why it’s mind-boggling that Jesus left behind his home on a rescue mission to save you and me.
. . . Came Down for You
Imagine a love so great that it would move someone to leave the sublimity of heaven and come to earth. The very earth you walk on today, filled with such terror and so much pain. Imagine the Son of God, who possessed riches beyond belief, becoming lowly for you. Picture the sinless Savior willingly submitting himself to God to be born into our sinful world, coming to save those who spurned his name.
What love is this? Only the love of Jesus. Only he would take off his crown and robe, replacing them with human flesh and a crown of thorns. He left glory to save us. The Hope of heaven came down for you.
The same God who took on flesh as a helpless baby not only lived a perfect life for you—he died your death and rose back to life to secure your salvation. If you are in Christ, you are sealed by the Spirit (Eph. 1:13). There is now no fear in death. Death still feels unsafe because suffering is painful and unknowns induce anxiety, but ultimately we have nothing to fear because Jesus promises to bring us safely into glory where he will wipe away our tears.
Prepare Him Room
Because of sin, death is certain, but because of Christ, we have hope (Rom. 6:23). If you haven’t trusted in Jesus Christ alone to save you from your sin, may this Christmas be the first year you grasp the hope of the virgin birth. May the Light of life call you out of darkness and transform your life today.
As Christians, it’s easy to get caught up in the rush of the season and miss out on the beauty of the Savior. Maybe sorrow hangs heavy in your heart over the loss of a family member or the lonesomeness of being single. The space of our hearts can be crowded out by many things. As Christmas quickly approaches, let us prepare room in our hearts to worship the King who was made low to raise us up.
Brittany Allen is a wife to James and a mama to two silly boys as well as three babies lost to miscarriage. She’s the author of a forthcoming book with Lexham Press and has written for various ministries including Well-Watered Women, Journeywomen, Core Christianity, and The Gospel Coalition. You can find more of her writing at brittleeallen.com or subscribe to Treasuring Christ Newsletter on Substack.