The world is still in a festive mood, marking the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. We must never allow the importance of His coming to be shrouded by festivity of eating, drinking, and dancing. Among several reasons, Jesus was sent into the world to bridge the gap. The world was divided along racial lines. The same demarcation affected social standing as well as gender. All these were brought under one roof at His coming. “For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us”. (Ephesians 2:14). Of particular note is the removal of the divide between the sexes. The coming of Jesus clearly demonstrate that women are not second class to men. The good news of the conception of the Holy child was first given to a woman, Mary. It would be months later before Joseph got to know of the plan of God. Then when Jesus rose from the grave it was another Mary that had the singular privilege to first sight Him, and to carry the good news of His resurrection to the other disciples. This put paid to the debate whether women could preach the gospel or not. If Jesus found them worthy to be first-hand recipient of the gospel, we must never allow traditions of men to sidetrack them.

Jesus was sent into the world to bridge the gap…We are to follow in the heels of Jesus who bridged the gap between God and man, and between man and his fellow man.

Of general application is that we should all be bridge builders. We are to follow in the heels of Jesus who bridged the gap between God and man, and between man and his fellow man. That is the reason why Jesus said that He is sending us as the Father sent Him. Anything we do to emphasize any form of division is a slap on the face of God who paid so much a price to make the whole world one under Him.