December 26: BREAKING THE BARRIERS

That crashing sound that you have been hearing since Christmas morning reminded me of how the birth of Jesus the Christ was breaking down all the barriers that keep people from God. Long before the veil of the Temple was split down the middle when Jesus died on the cross and the way was open into the Holy Presence of God for anyone, Jesus had opened the way to God.
Remember how Paul talks about Jesus as the “destroyer of barriers” in Ephesians 2:14? Just look around you on this day after Christmas and count the broken barriers. Over there is the BARRIER OF NATURAL LAW. Natural law said a virgin could not have a baby and that God could not possibly become a man. Natural law thought it could limit our access to God and God’s access to us. Like Jesus said, “if you have seen me, you have seen the Father.” (John 14)
Next to it is the BARRIER OF IGNORANCE. Ignorant people referred to God as “the Unmoved Mover” or “the Source”, some of them were philosophers. Some were even the founders of religion that seemed more interested in hiding God and obscuring Him.
See there the BARRIER OF KNOWLEDGE. Smart people have said that you can “know about” God but that you can’t “know” God. You can know God’s “commands” but not Him! But John 1:14 says, “the Word became flesh and pitched His tent among us.” Knowledge doesn’t like 1 John 1:1 where the testimony is “what our eyes have seen, our ears have heard and our hands have handled we declare to you.”
Notice next to it the BARRIER OF EXCLUSIVISM. Religions today like to be exclusive, like a private club. You know how it goes: only Jews will be saved or only Muslims will be saved or only Buddhists will be saved but John 3:16 says that , “God loved the world so much.” Jesus said, “whosoever will come to me, let him.” Little children, women, bad people. sick people, foreigners; none are excluded by Jesus.
Then there is the BARRIER OF UNBELIEF. That’s the problem today. Millions are celebrating the birth of Jesus this week as a “holiday” and not a “holy day”. They want to enjoy the fringe benefits of the Christian faith but refuse to make a commitment to follow Jesus. But many are discovering Jesus this week. Like Isaiah 65:1 says, “I will be found by those looking for me.”
All barriers that keep people from God must crumble in the presence of Jesus1

“Thank You, Lord Jesus, for being a barrier breakers and all can get to
know You personally because You came to this world. Amen”