Christmas is December 25th and is a time we celebrate the birthday of the Lord Jesus, but many think Christmas has lost its true meaning. It seems we are all about decorating our houses and Christmas trees, Santa and reindeers, throwing parties, giving and receiving expensive gifts. It has become a profitable holiday for many businesses. Have we become greedy? Have we lost sight of the true meaning of Christmas?
We have many Christmas traditions which vary in significance and symbolic meaning. We exchange gifts because God sent us the most precious gift: His only Son. Also the three wisemen visited Jesus and brought gifts as well.
We put our gifts under a decorated Christmas tree. The Christmas tree started as a common pagan custom, but survived conversion to Christianity. We use of evergreen trees, wreaths, and garlands to symbolize eternal life. In Germany wafers were hung of the tree symbolizing the eucharistic host, the Christian sign of redemption. Later candles were added symbolizing Christ as the light of the world. The custom spread and the Christmas tree became one of our holiday traditions.
Jesus’ birth probably didn’t happen exactly on December 25th, but that is the day Christians chose to celebrate. The important thing is to remember you’re celebrating a real event that happened about 2,000 years ago when God sent His Son into the world as a Christmas present for everyone!
Through the power of the Holy Spirit, God chose a virgin to give birth to Jesus (Luke 1:34-34). He was born in poverty to a virgin called Mary in Bethlehem of Judea and grew up in Nazareth in Galilee. His earthly father was Joseph who was a carpenter. Jesus’ name means ‘God with us’. He is the Son of God, the Son of Man, the Messiah, and Savior of the World.
We don’t know what He looked like, but we know He was a Jew and probably had dark skin. He wasn’t tall, dark and handsome, but His appearance drew people to Him. He didn’t speak English; He spoke Greek, Arabic, and Hebrew.
Jesus didn’t go to high school or college. He never traveled more than 100 miles from His home. He was not destined for greatest, never wrote a book, never held a government office, and never had a TV show or movie. The only property He owned was the clothes He wore. When He became an adult, He was rejected by most people and even His closest friends abandoned Him. He was arrested by enemies, was tried and convicted, and nailed to a cross like a common criminal.
We learn in the Old Testament that God had planned His birth, life, death, and resurrection for a long time. It was prophesied that the Messiah would be born of a virgin, born in Bethlehem, would be brought gifts, and would flee to Egypt for a time for safety. He fulfilled over 300 prophecies in the Old Testament. There are too many details to not be true. He was truly the Messiah.
He didn’t come to earth in a powerful way, but in a humble way. The King of the universe came as an infant, born in an animal shelter, set aside all His heavenly privileges to live a selfless obedient life and then die a selfless obedient death for our sins.
Philippians 2:5-11 tells us the Father revealed to the entire world that Jesus was God. “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross! There God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Jesus is God. John wrote about Him in John 1:1 – “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Jesus is the Word. John 1:3 – “Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made”.
Jesus said of Himself:
So why did He come? He came for the cross! His story is one of truth, love, and hope. God sent His Son because He loves us. He was born so one day He could pay the price for the things we have done that are wrong. We all are born with a sin nature and do things that don’t please God. Through the sins of Adam and Eve we all have inherited that sin nature and have a broken relationship with God.
Jesus came because we needed a Savior. He could pay the price for our sins by dying on the cross. He brought salvation to all of us; without him we would all die in our sins. He is the Savior of the world. Only through Him can our sins be forgiven and our relationship with God be restored. Because He lived a life without sin, only He was qualified to pay for our sins by His death on a cross. After dying on the cross, He then demonstrated His power over death when He rose from the grave three days later.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” – John 3:16
After Jesus rose from the dead, He ascended to heaven to the place where He was before becoming human and from there He is able to hear our prayers (Romans 8:34). He promised to return and when He returns He will separate those who will live with Him forever in heaven from those who will be punished for their sins (Matthew 25:31-33).
He came to earth to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10). He offers eternal life for those who believe in Him. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done, Jesus still wants you to come to Him. He waits patiently for you to accept and follow Him.
Jesus is humble, approachable, courageous, and full of love. He changes lives. He lives in heaven at father God’s right hand and will return to judge all humanity. He is the Son of God. He and God are One. Jesus forgives sin as only God can. He is the only Savior and the only Way for us to spend eternity with Him.
Principle: The true meaning of Christmas is the celebration of the Savior, Jesus Christ.
It’s important that we all know Jesus and His love for all of us. What matters is what happens when you die. He is your only hope. Christmas celebrates this amazing love and is really about the cross. Jesus is not only the reason for the season, we are the reason! Christmas is for us!
Merry Christmas! -- I encourage you to trust in Jesus.
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