Snow Clean

“Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.”—Isaiah 1:18

Where I live, snow is on the ground. It covers everything the eye can see. Except for a few shoveled driveways, snow is everywhere and it’s beautiful. I enjoy seeing the snow come for Christmas time. There’s a certain romantic nostalgia to it, I suppose, as I look out the window watching the snow cascade across the earth, making a blanket of brilliant white that dazzles the eye and warms the heart. I think I like the idea of a white Christmas so much because it is a reminder of what Jesus did for me. He came to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10) by paying the price for our sins. He paid the FULL price for ALL of our sin. It doesn’t matter how bad it was; His sacrifice was sufficient. His blood covers over it. Think about it: our sins were like scarlet, but Jesus brings a snowstorm of grace, covering over the perpetual scars of sin with the blanket of pure white snow that is forgiveness. Christ then no longer sees my scars; He sees His own. And covering each believer is a purity that is more brilliant than anything in this world. The whiteness of our forgiveness is similar to the whiteness revealed of Jesus when He was on the Mount of Transfiguration with Peter, James and John (Mark 9:3).

In our passage for today, the Lord is speaking to the people of Israel, urging them to stop and think about the opportunity of a lifetime. God is offering to forgive their sins if they turn to Him. God doesn’t have to forgive our sins. He chooses to. He is a being who, out of His love, mercy, and grace, decides to give us life. He doesn’t have to do anything for us, but He does. And in our passage for today, He is offering Israel an opportunity to be white like snow in His presence—which means they have the opportunity to have their sins forgiven. God was giving them a chance to repent and turn to Him. Now God is giving us, too, an opportunity to repent and have forgiveness, because of Jesus (Acts 17:30, 26:18). It is only through Him that we can have salvation, because of what He has done on our behalf.

My brother or sister, don’t let the ultimate Grinch Satan steal the joy of your Christmas. If you have repented of your sin and accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, then let the truth of Christ cover you as the snow covers the earth, and let the proclamation of peace and forgiveness cover the scars of your sin. May you live in the light of His grace and bask in the radiance of His presence. And may His joy be your joy today. Amen.