Christ, the Eternal Son of God, became man in order to save wretched sinners who cannot save themselves, and he is the only one who gives us true and lasting hope.
The birth of Jesus is the ultimate light shining in the darkness. He is the light, and at his birth, we see the dramatic, vivid picture of darkness being shattered as we look forward to eternity with Him.
Although it's painful, unless we really understand the depths of our sinfulness, we will never really understand how great our redemption in Christ is.
Physical death only points to the larger issue of spiritual death. We are spiritually dead, we open ourselves to temptation, we engage in sin, and we do this until the Holy Spirit quickens us, and we are made spiritually alive in Christ.