By Phil Harwood

When I was in high school, the U.S. Olympic ice hockey team beat the Russian team. This unforeseen victory is referred to as “the miracle on ice.” It truly was remarkable. A bunch of young, amateur hockey players beat an experienced team of professionals on the biggest stage in the world. For a brief moment, the world stopped and everyone took notice of the magnitude of something so unbelievable that it could only be described as a miracle. But I think we can all agree that winning a hockey game does not equate to a true miracle.

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A true miracle is something that cannot be explained because it violates the laws of nature. We are unable to fathom how such a thing could occur, even with all of our knowledge and experience. So, when a true miracle occurs, people really do take notice.
 
Christians around the world celebrated the birth of Jesus this week. His birth was a miracle because he was born to a virgin mother who had been foretold of her pregnancy by an angel of God. When Jesus was born, there was widespread recognition that a miracle had occurred, that a king was born by a virgin mother in a Bethlehem stable. From lowly shepherds to the Magi from the East to King Herod, it was acknowledged that Jesus was a miracle baby.
 
Jesus performed many miracles during his brief time of ministry. He turned water into wine. He fed thousands of people with a small amount of bread and fish. He healed blind people, sick people, crippled people, and raised people from the dead. News of these miracles spread quickly throughout the region and his followers exploded in numbers. But the greatest miracle of all was yet to come.
 
Jesus was crucified on a wooden cross, as he and the scriptures predicted. Three days later, he rose from the dead. He appeared to his disciples many times after this so that they would fully understand the meaning of his death and resurrection. The greatest miracle was that Jesus died to pay the penalty for the sins of everyone. He took the punishment for my sin and your sin, paving the way for forgiveness, restoration, and eternal life.
 
Jesus suffered for us – for me and for you. He made the ultimate sacrifice. In doing so, he bridged the gap that existed between life and death. Our best efforts would never be enough to overcome our sin. As hard as we try, we can never do enough good deeds to redeem ourselves. But Jesus took all of that away.
 
Jesus mercifully paid the price for our sin, which we do not deserve, but are offered because of God’s great love for us. Our sins are washed clean by the sacrificial blood His Son shed on the cross. When we believe and accept this gift, we are then seen by God as blameless and we are restored to Him for eternity.
 
Does all of this seem too hard to believe? After all, it is a miracle. Do you believe in miracles? If a miracle can happen in a hockey game, can a miracle also happen in our lives? I believe so.
 
Now go forth.