We have been given a message to take to the world, a message of warning to a world soon to perish. What an opportunity we have today to share the most important part of that message, the gospel. Notice that the three angels message does not begin with the  mark of the beast, nor that His judgment has begun, but with taking the gospel to the world. Today, of all days, we are permitted to talk about Jesus and why it is that He came to this world a helpless baby, and when He came to His own, His own knew Him not and put Him to death. The disciples after spending three and a half years with Jesus did not know Jesus had to die that they might be saved. Like His disciples including John the Baptist, many today do not understand why God allowed His innocent Son to come to this dark spot in the universe where Satan who hated Christ claimed dominion. God allowed this very bad thing to happen to a very very good Man, the Son of Man and the Son of God. Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people? Why did Jesus come a helpless baby to suffer and die an ignominious death? To whom great light has been given, it is our joy to share it with those who are seeking truth, on this Christmas Day.
 

God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son

 “And there was war in heaven: Michael and His angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven”.  Revelation 12:8. We know the end of the story, he was cast down to this Earth and allowed to tempt Adam and Eve. She trusted Satan more than God and sin entered our world. This did not surprise God. They had made provision for such a thing and entered into a covenant that if man should sin, he would be given another chance to obtain eternal life. "And before man was created, God and Christ entered into a covenant that if he fell from his allegiance, Christ would bear the penalty of transgression. Man fell, but he was not left to the power of the destroyer. 'God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.'”

When Adam and Eve fell from grace there was a transition in them. Prior to eating from the forbidden tree they had holy flesh, the mind controlled the flesh. After sin, they had no power to

I will put enmity between thee and the woman

keep the flesh under control. Their nature was perverted and they could do no good thing. Sin entered the world, for all in the world inherit the same fallen sinful nature. Man was now separated from God and at enmity with Him and aligned with Satan and sin. We read more of the covenant made between the Father and the Son. God so love the world that Jesus would suffer in place of man that He might be transformed in character through being reconciled with God. "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise His heel." This was God speaking to Satan in the Garden just after Adam and Eve had sinned.

The woman, Eve and her children were to be transformed in character from hating God to hating sin and Satan. They (we) were to be given opportunity to accept what was being offered at great expense. What are the conditions of the covenant? For man, as we would discovered later, was to love the Lord our God with all of the heart. But, there was a condition to be fulfilled by God also. it is the second part of the covenant made from the foundation of the Earth and spoken in the Garden. "....it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise His heel."  Satan would be destroyed and the Son of God would suffer and die for the sins of the whole world. These two conditions must be fulfilled in order for a man to gain eternal life.
 

He could have sinned

Now, we better understand why it was that God's innocent Son came to this dark spot in the universe. But, why a helpless baby and why in the fallen nature of man? And, why did God put His innocent Son at risk of losing Him? "He could have sinned; He could have fallen, but not for one moment was there in Him an evil propensity. He was assailed with temptations in the wilderness, as Adam was assailed with temptations in Eden." S.D.A. Bible Commentary 5:1128. Do not think it was easy for our heavenly Father to allow His innocent Son to pay the price for our sins at the risk of losing Him. It was not easy. When Jesus went to His Father to put in place this covenant, the Father did not immediately agree.

Sorrow filled heaven as it was realized that man was lost and that the world which God had created was to be filled with mortals doomed to misery, sickness, and death, and that there was no way of escape for the offender. The whole family of Adam must die. I then saw the lovely Jesus and beheld an expression

A way of escape had been made for lost man

of sympathy and sorrow upon His countenance. Soon I saw Him approach the exceeding bright light which enshrouded the Father. Said my accompanying angel, “He is in close converse with His Father.” The anxiety of the angels seemed to be intense while Jesus was communing with His Father. Three times He was shut in by the glorious light about the Father, and the third time He came from the Father we could see His person. His countenance was calm, free from all perplexity and trouble, and shone with a loveliness which words cannot describe. He then made known to the angelic choir that a way of escape had been made for lost man; that He had been pleading with His Father, and had obtained permission to give His own life as a ransom for the race, to bear their sins, and take the sentence of death upon Himself, thus opening a way whereby they might, through the merits of His blood, find pardon for past transgressions, and by obedience be brought back to the garden from which they were driven. Then they could again have access to the glorious, immortal fruit of the tree of life to which they had now forfeited all right. Early Writings; pg 127.

Jesus did come to this world, He did suffer and die that we might have the opportunity to accept this Gift, that we might be transformed into His image. How is it that fallen man who will not be given holy flesh until Jesus returns, can be transformed to reflect His image, His character? We are evil by nature and can do no good thing until we are born again of the Spirit. Until we can walk in the Spirit, we walk in the flesh and are condemned. "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Romans 8:1. When sinful man accepts Christ as Savior and surrenders the whole heart, he is converted and empowered to keep the laws of God. As long as man is reconciled to God, he will manifest all of the fruits of the Spirit which are love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance which is self-control. Not one of these fruits will be missing from the life while the heart is fully surrendered and the Spirit abides in it (Desire of Ages; pg 676). How can this be? It is the greatest of all miracles that God can bestow upon the children of men.

The Bible tells us that it is by grace we experience this new birth when the Holy Spirit takes possession of the heart and mind (Ephesians 2:8).  What is grace? It is just what we are celebrating around the word today. It is the truth of God's love for us while we were yet sinners (Rom. 5:8). He let His innocent Son come to this fallen world a helpless baby. Jesus our Savior was born of human flesh into a world that was at enmity with Him. It is by His stripes that we are healed. As we behold Him hanging on the cross paying the price for our sins, the heart breaks. The Saviour trod the wine press alone, and of the people there was none with Him. Both the Father and the Son understood this before Jesus came into our world.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came

Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord

upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.  Luke 2:8-14

Our world does not deserve this. And though many are called, few will take advantage of His love and sacrifice. Sadly many will not know Him because they never took the opportunity to know of His love. It is our privilege to enlighten our world, to witness the character of our God. Filled with an understanding of His grace let us do this today of all days. Here is the most moving example of God's grace that I have ever read, and it begins in Bethlehem. Share it with your family and friends on this Christmas Day. This is a revelation of the grace that causes sinful man to fall on his face for what we have done to our Savior and our heavenly Father.

Heaven and earth are no wider apart today than when shepherds listened to the angels’ song. Humanity is still as much the object of heaven’s solicitude as when common men of common occupations met angels at noonday, and talked with the heavenly messengers in the vineyards and the fields. To us in the common walks of life, heaven may be very near. Angels from the courts above will attend the steps of those who come and go at God’s command.

The story of Bethlehem is an exhaustless theme. In it is hidden “the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God.” Romans 11:33. We marvel at the Saviour’s sacrifice in exchanging the throne of heaven for the manger, and the companionship of adoring angels for the beasts of the stall. Human pride and self-sufficiency stand rebuked in His presence. Yet this was but the beginning of His wonderful condescension. It would have been an almost infinite humiliation for the Son of God to take man’s nature, even when Adam stood in his innocence in Eden. But Jesus accepted humanity when the race had been weakened by four thousand years of sin. Like every child of Adam He accepted the results of the working of the great law of heredity. What these results were is shown in the history of His earthly ancestors. He

At the risk of failure and eternal loss   Herein is love

came with such a heredity to share our sorrows and temptations, and to give us the example of a sinless life.

Satan in heaven had hated Christ for His position in the courts of God. He hated Him the more when he himself was dethroned. He hated Him who pledged Himself to redeem a race of sinners. Yet into the world where Satan claimed dominion God permitted His Son to come, a helpless babe, subject to the weakness of humanity. He permitted Him to meet life’s peril in common with every human soul, to fight the battle as every child of humanity must fight it, at the risk of failure and eternal loss.
 
The heart of the human father yearns over his son. He looks into the face of his little child, and trembles at the thought of life’s peril. He longs to shield his dear one from Satan’s power, to hold him back from temptation and conflict. To meet a bitterer conflict and a more fearful risk, God gave His only-begotten Son, that the path of life might be made sure for our little ones. “Herein is love.” Wonder, O heavens! and be astonished, O earth!  Desire of Ages; pg 49.