CRU Update

Message from CRU

When coming to the Christmas story, we can often fail to appreciate the value of Jesus coming to earth as a man for us. Last week at CRU we read the familiar words of Luke 2, as Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the town of David, in the line of David as promised in the Old Testament. Reverend Benn took us through the passage, beginning by noting the detail of verses 1-2. We know that these events took place because Luke records that it was during the time of Caesar Augustus, who called a census of the Roman world while Quirinius was governor. We are able to have certainty in God’s Word and know that Luke is providing an orderly account of historical events and not just made-up ideas. Reverend Benn continued to explore how God was at work through Mary, of low social standing, providing a humble birth for the Messiah, Lord and Saviour of all, laid in a manger.

To illustrate how Jesus saves, Reverend Benn used an analogy with a cup. The cup began with clear water in it but soon was coloured which represents the stain of sin on our lives. But through the use of bleach, the water became clear again, and no matter how much more colouring was placed in the cup, it remained clean. This represents the way Jesus ultimately came to save us from our sins, as He died in our place and our sins, past, present and future, which are taken away forever. Consequently, we are forgiven and can have a relationship with God through this Saviour who was born in Bethlehem. After hearing all of this, we saw the shepherds’ response in verse 20: these lowly people in the social class were actually among the first to see the eternal king. They glorified and praised God for what they had seen, just as these events were foretold in the Old Testament. In the same way, we can praise God by trusting in Jesus and living His way for His glory, having certainty in God’s Word.

CRU group concluded today with a combined Junior and Senior CRU. We hope all the boys have a chance to read their Bibles and possibly continue in Luke over the holidays and we look forward to CRU starting up again in 2025. In the meantime, we hope everyone has a safe holiday, remembering how amazing it is that Christ came to earth as a man to save sinners like us.

Daniel Becker
Year 11