By Gloria Wessner
Immortality is a gift that has been sought for countless centuries from the Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León, Puerto Rico’s first Governor (pic above), who was searching for the Fountain of Youth when he traveled to present-day Florida in 1513 (the city of St. Augustine, Florida is home to the Fountain of Youth National Archaeological Park, a tribute to this legend) to the 2007 film ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End’ that ends with Captain Jack Sparrow heading off to find the Fountain of Youth. Even the famous cartoon character Donald Duck of the Walt Disney Company is featured in a 1953 cartoon entitled Don’s Fountain of Youth in which Donald Duck had supposedly discovered the famous fountain and can’t resist pretending to his nephews that it really works.
Did you know that the creator of the universe has already made it possible for us to be immortal? And not just that, he has made it so that you and I can have an intimate friendship with the giver of immortality!
When Jesus was born on earth 2000 years ago; he was the ultimate gift, for each one of us. His coming to earth and living with us for a time and then dying on the cross and rising again from the dead was all a gift that was planned and carried out totally with us in mind. It opened the gates of heaven for those who, like at Christmas, receive a gift from a family member and just accept that gift by opening it and know that they are loved.
“And we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us understanding so that we can know the true God. And now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and he is eternal life.” 1 John 5:20
That is what we have to do – accept his gift of Jesus. What does that mean? It means I acknowledge to God by talking to him that Jesus is his son and that he died for me in order to take away from me the wrong things I have done. When I do that, and this is a onetime decision, he cleans and takes away those wrong things and puts new desires in my heart (‘live in fellowship with the true God’ as it is stated above) to live the way he wants me to live and not live selfishly for myself. I now have real and true purpose in life, and that empty void I have had is gone. It has been replaced with God’s love and a real relationship with him. I am also going to live forever (be immortal) and eternally with God in heaven because when Jesus rose from the dead he conquered death itself and it no longer has a hold on me. My body will die, but the real me will never die but live forever with Jesus. ‘But thank God! He gives us victory over sin (wrong things) and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.’ (1 Corinthians 15:57).
This could be the most important gift you will receive this Christmas, if you want it. God always has his arms stretched out to us with this gift in his hands, but it’s up to us to accept it. He gave us his own precious son knowing he would suffer and die for us to provide a way for us to have that friendship with himself. How about it, will you accept his gift this Christmas?
The Christmas story can be read here: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+2%3A1-20&version=MSG
Gloria can be reached at gloriawes@hotmail.com