He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed. 1 Peter 2:24

Charles Lindbergh, Mahatma Gandhi, Franklin Roosevelt, Adolf Hitler, George Marshall, Winston Churchill, Lech Walesa, and Ronald Reagan have all been named TIME Magazine's Person of the Year.

The Person of the Year is a prestigious award given to those folks who have, positively and negatively, rocked the world ... at least for a short period of time. There has always been great conjecture and speculation as to who will be nominated and who is worthy of the honor.

This year TIME Magazine's Person of the Year is not a single individual, but a group of folks who are dedicated to fighting the Ebola virus.

Nancy Gibbs, TIME's editor, says these folks have the hearts of heroes. They have shown the quality stuff of which the Lord has made them. The official statement of the magazine amplifies on that idea when it says, "For tireless acts of courage and mercy, for buying the world time to boost its defenses, for risking, for persisting, for sacrificing and saving, the Ebola fighters are TIME's 2014 Person of the Year."

Although some of us may have a personal candidate we would like to have seen win the prize, most of us would put forth no objection to TIME's choice.

Of course, if you are seriously looking for Someone who showed tireless acts of courage to humanity; whose entire life was an act of mercy for the benefit of others; who bought us eternity with His sacrifice; who continuously persisted in risking and sacrificing Himself for others; Jesus rightly ought to be named Person of the Year.

Indeed, Jesus should be named Person of the Year, every year.

Of course, there is a significant difference between the Savior and the Ebola fighters. Every effort is made to protect the folks who are working with the disease. They wear protective garb; they isolate themselves from all infectious fluids; they try to keep themselves from infection and contagion.

In contrast, Jesus came into this world for the express purpose of offering Himself up for humanity's salvation. He did not keep Himself from us; on the contrary, He became one of us. He took our illness onto Himself, and He carried our sins to the cross.

Now, because of what Jesus has done, all who believe on Him are saved.

Now TIME may not ever make Jesus Person of the Year, but He most certainly ought to be Savior for all Eternity for each and every one of us.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, I am most grateful to have a Savior who gave Himself for my salvation. May He always be first in my mind, heart and soul. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

In Christ I remain His servant and yours,

Today's Bible Readings: Genesis 1-3    Matthew 1

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