Day 25

Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age. Matthew 28:19-20

Merry Christmas! We have reached the end of our Jesse Tree and have arrived at our final character in the Story of Salvation—YOU!

On Christmas morning, God allows the world to meet His only begotten Son, Jesus. Jesus came from a long line of ancestors (many of whom we have spent the last month learning about). When Jesus was little, He did many things like you. He lived with His family, played, ran, jumped, laughed, made friends, and even cried when He was sad. Jesus grew up to do the most important thing any person has ever done in the history of people—He allowed Himself to be nailed to a cross, die, and three days later rise from the dead. In doing this, Jesus opened the gates of heaven! 

Jesus is the fulfillment of the promise of God—the path to perfect communion with His heart has been restored. Jesus is the path! This is why in the Bible, Jesus is called “The Way!” 

Salvation History continues because the goal of our life is to make our way to heaven, where we can spend forever with God in perfect happiness. We do this through Baptism and by living and sharing the Gospel. To live the Gospel, we must love God and our neighbor. To share the Gospel, our thoughts, words, and deeds must be filled with His love. The first, and most important way we do this is by protecting the dignity of every person we encounter. When we get this right, everything else falls into place.