The fact that Jesus Christ led a sinless life, that in fact Jesus was perfect, is well-known to His followers.
Peter said, “He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth” (1 Peter 2:22).
John said, “You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin” (1 John 3:5).
The writer of Hebrews said, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin” (4:15).
I don’t know about you, but I don’t spend nearly enough time pondering why this is so. Why do the writers of Scripture give so much attention to Jesus’ perfection? Does it really matter whether Jesus was perfect during His time on earth?
It’s especially easy for me to think about the realities of Jesus’ life during the Christmas season.
You see, I love Christmas.
I enjoy the anticipation. The decorations. The sweet treats and the glow of candles. The hustle and bustle, and the quiet and tender.
It seems that my thirst for pondering time is unquenchable during this time of year.
Pondering the amazing reality of a baby born to die, that I might live.
But my pastor recently preached about another reality that I tend to overlook.
Jesus wasn’t a baby born only to die; He was a baby born to live.
He was born to live a perfectly sinless life.
A completely righteous life.
And this is a critically important aspect of the Gospel.
Oh yes, it matters a great deal that Jesus lived a perfectly sinless life. That His manner of living, His actions, His words, His attitudes, and even the innermost thoughts of His heart were utterly righteous and without sin.
3 Reasons Why It Matters That Jesus Was Perfect
1.)Because Jesus was perfect, we can trust that God tells the truth.
The Old Testament is clear that when it comes to sacrifice for sins, the lamb offered must be without blemish or defect (Exodus 12:5, Leviticus 22:24, Deuteronomy 17:1).
The blood of a lamb could never provide full atonement for sins; even before Christ came, salvation was through faith, as God’s people looked ahead to the sacrifice He had promised to provide. The perfect lamb He demanded for such sacrifice was a representation of the Messiah’s perfect sinlessness. If Jesus hadn’t been a completely perfect sacrifice, God would be a liar.
2.)Because Jesus was perfect, He could defeat sin.
“The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:56-57).
By living a sinless life, Jesus demonstrated complete dominance over sin, and by overcoming every temptation, He demonstrated complete authority over Satan.
Had Jesus yielded to the power of temptation and committed even one sin against a holy God, His sacrifice would’ve been impotent, His death meaningless.
3.)Because Jesus was perfect, you and I can be counted righteous.
“For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
In Him we become the righteousness of God. What a stunning truth. That the God of the universe would make a Way to turn the filthy rags of our very best efforts (Isaiah 64:6) into the very righteousness of a perfectly sinless Christ is mind-boggling.
Jesus lived a sinless life so that when His death, burial, and resurrection were accomplished, His righteous life could be applied to my account, by grace through faith.
So as we celebrate Christmas, let’s celebrate the baby born of a virgin and laid in a manger.
Let’s celebrate the baby born to die for your sins and mine.
And let’s celebrate the baby born to live a perfect life, so that we might be clothed in His righteousness.
Are you looking to draw closer to God during the holiday season?
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