Christmas falls on the 25 December every year. It is known as Thanks Giving all round the world and families come together to have their Thanks Giving dinner and prepare for Christmas. As the festive season draw near, shopping malls are filled with presents, food and decoration. People starts buying gifts and preparing meal for Christmas. Everyone is getting excited and starts counting down as 12 midnight draws near. As the clock struck 12 midnight, joyous cheer fills the street and people exchange gift and hugs and starts singing Christmas carols. That is Christmas to majority of the world.
But is that really what Christmas is all about? I tell you the truth, that is not Christmas. We have totally miss the true meaning of Christmas. Christmas is a day of celebration, a celebration of the birth of the Saviour of the world, Jesus Christ.
We are all sinner by nature because of Adam's disobedience to God. The world is full of sinners and for all of us sinners, only death (eternal separation from God) awaits us. "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23. God destroyed the world once during the Great Flood but God also made a covenant with Noah that He will not destroy the world again. Genesis 9:11 "I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth."
It is written in the Bible that for every sin, blood is needed to be shed for the forgiveness of God. "For the life of the flesh is in the blood; and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul." Leviticus 17:11. The Old Testament provided for the offering of certain select animals whose blood was shed vicariously for the sins of those who repented and trusted God's revelation. However, even if any man had wanted to, he could not offer himself in payment for his sins, for his sin had disqualified him from being an acceptable sacrifice. All of the spotless, innocent animals that became sacrifices in the Old Testament pointed to that great sacrifice, the one made by Jesus Christ on Calvary's cross. Thats why John the Baptist introduced Him, saying "Behold! The Lamb of God, who take away the sin of the world." John 1:29.
"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
The penalty God imposed on sin is both just and loving, for God Himself, in the Person of the Son, paid that penalty for all who will accept Him as their Substitute. God the Son, clothed in human form, shed His blood for man's sin, thus satisfying every demand of holy justice. And through that precious blood, God showed Himself to be both just and justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus, Romans 3:26. With the death of Christ, His blood washed away all of our sins, past and to come.
In Christ, we have redemption through His Blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace. Ephesians 1:7
Christmas is the birthday of Jesus Christ, King of all kings, Lord of lords but yet we forgotten this very special day. We have forgotten to thank God for His love, for His grace and for His blood which He shed to remove all our sins. Let us all come back to the Lord but remembering all he had done for us and let us not be blinded by the world and what the media has for us. Christmas is not about the big man in a red suit nor is it about food and decoration. It is not about the many gift we receive but the one special gift that God had given 2000 years ago.
There is this Christmas carol titled Silence Night but do you know, on the day when Jesus was born, there was a war raging in heaven. Reading Revelation 12, we can tell that the devil was going all out against God because he knows that Christ the Saviour is about to be born. So let us not forget what God has done for all of us on this special day. God send His Son to the world to save it and we should thank Him for His wonderful grace and worship God even more on Christmas.
Let us pray:
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for the greatest gift of love, that you send Jesus Christ your Son to the world to save us all. Father forgive us if we have forgotten the significance of this day and help us Lord to always remember you grace that you have given us. Lord thank you for all you have done on earth and dying on the cross. We celebrate your special day and we bless you wonderful name. Thank you Father once again for your love. Continue to guild us your children as we worship you and celebrate you gift of love. Bless you Lord. In Jesus most precious name we pray.
Amen.
