Osinbajo preaches mercy, grace for Nigeria on Christmas day 

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo said Sunday that celebration of Christmas was a reminder of the grace of God while the birth of Jesus Christ is the beginning of a new covenant of God’s mercy.

Osinbajo said this while fielding questions from journalists after the Christmas Service at the Aso Villa Chapel in Abuja. The Vice President had delivered the sermon at a hybrid service attended by his wife, Mrs Dolapo Osinbajo, senior government officials and others – both online and physically.

The Vice President said his message to Nigeria is “the message of Christmas which is the birth of the new covenant, the birth of grace.

“God’s grace and mercy is what we celebrate today. The birth of Jesus Christ is the birth of the grace of God. From the moment Christ was born, God said He wasn’t going to hold us to account for sin so long as we believed in what He did – the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

“Before, we had to pay for our sins and we had to bear the consequence of sin. We would always continue to sin, but with the coming of the Lord Jesus, He has come to replace us and substitute all our unrighteousness and replace it with His own righteousness, as long as we believe in him,” he said.

Earlier in his sermon during the Church service, Osinbajo said the difference between the old covenant which was based on performance and fulfilling of the law of sin and death and the new covenant which is based on the grace of God through the death of Jesus.

Citing the scriptures in Luke 2:4-17, Osinbajo said: “The birth of Jesus brought about the new covenant because mankind couldn’t fulfil the old covenant and fell short every time.

“God knew the old covenant didn’t work and then introduced the new covenant in the form of Jesus who came to fulfil the law.” The Vice President added that “what is required for the new covenant is that we believe in Jesus.”

He wished Nigerians a merry Christmas and prosperous new year filled with mercy and grace.

The Christmas Service which is an annual event at the Aso Villa Chapel featured a Bible study session moderated by the Chaplain, Pastor Joseph Oluseyi Malomo, celebration, singing and dancing.