As we approach the Christmas season, we must remind ourselves of how fortunate we are because of the greatest gift that any human could ever receive. We should be giving God continued praise, veritable worship from our hearts, and the guiding force in our lives.
We celebrate the Christmas season because of the birth of God’s Son, Jesus. But what if there had never been a Christmas? I want us to take a few moments to look at something about the season of Christmas.
How did we become Christians? As a result of a missionary, someone taking the gospel to others, we are now Christians.
Since somebody conveyed to us the brilliant deeds of God uncovered in the life, passing, and living presence of Jesus Christ, we are Christians.
We can celebrate due to the fact that the people who went before us did not regard the gospel as a confidential fortune to be shielded and protected.
Due to the missionary actions of people before us, we have received blessings of our faith. The shepherds left the stable to tell the story of what they encountered.
The Wisemen, who had brought precious gifts, went a different route to return to their own countries and undoubtedly spoke of what they witnessed.
The apostles went out to tell others of the Good News. Through the ages, people have traveled throughout the world to tell others of the Good News.
Regardless of who went where and when anyone that goes to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ can be considered a missionary.
What Is Christmas?
Christmas is a Christian festival celebrating the birth of Jesus. The actual date of Jesus’ birth is unknown. In AD 221, Sextus Julius Africanus, a Christian historian, was the first to recognize December 25 as the date of Jesus’ birth to the world, which later turned into the all-around acknowledged date.
Although many assert that Christmas was derived from a pagan winter solstice celebratory feast, Christmas is by far the most celebrated holiday around the world.
Christmas Varies Between People
To many people, the meaning of Christmas is the celebration of the winter solstice. It means the coming of Santa Claus in the middle of the night to bring gifts to people around the world. It is a time for decorating a tree and exchanging presents.
For many people, it is a time for visiting family and friends and consuming appetizing cuisine and meals. For others, it is a time to communicate with people (friends and family) with greeting cards; well, nowadays, it may just be through texts and emails.
Still, for others, the meaning of Christmas is a time to escape the negative realities of life. Though some of these activities bring about good cheer and joyful elation, to others, they may bring sorrow, depression, and negative feelings.
God Communicated to the People of Earth
If we look back at Genesis 3:15, God is communicating the defeat of Satan through the birth, life, death, and resurrection of His Son, Jesus.
In Isaiah 9:2-6, in a period of extraordinary darkness, God vowed to send a light that would radiate on everybody living in the shadow of death. He is the “mighty God and Counsellor” (all-powerful and all-loving).
This message of hope and trust was completed through the birth of Christ and the foundation of His everlasting Kingdom. He came to convey all of humanity from the bondage of sin and transgression.
In Matthew 1:20-23, an angel visits Joseph. This angel declares to Joseph, “for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.” This uncovers a significant truth about Jesus that He is both God and man.
God assumed the restrictions of humankind so He could live and die for the salvation of all who might trust in Him. The origin and birth of Jesus Christ are extraordinary occasions outside the human ability to grasp and reason.
Along these lines, God sent heavenly messengers to assist specific individuals with understanding the meaning of what was occurring (Matthew 2:13; Luke 1:11,26; Luke 2:9).
The name Jesus implies Savior. Jesus came to earth to save us since we cannot save ourselves from the ramifications of sin. Regardless of how good we will be or think that we are, we cannot destroy the corrupt nature that is within us all.
No one but Jesus can do that. Jesus did not come to assist people with saving themselves. He came to be their Savior from the power of sin and the punishment of transgression.
We praise Jesus for His birth to the world, His death on the cross for our transgressions, His resurrection, and his indwelling through the Holy Spirit. Our new life starts the second that we ask Him into our hearts.
Jesus was to be called Emmanuel (“God with us”), as Isaiah the prophet had predicted (Isaiah 7:4). Jesus was God in a human form. In this way, God was, in an actual sense, among us.
Through the Holy Spirit, Christ is available today in the existence of each and every believing Christian. It could be that even Isaiah could not comprehend how expansive the importance of the “Emmanuel” would be.
What if Christmas Had Never Happened?
If we were to truly ponder the thought, think of how many billions of people on the surface of the earth that, as of now, have not heard enough of the uplifting Good News of Christ to have the option to make a conscious decision whether or not to put their faith in Him.
For these individuals, there is no Christmas. These individuals do not have the foggiest idea about God's adoration nor feel what we feel because of Jesus' most memorable arrival to the earth. These individuals do not have the hope within them that we have as a result of Jesus' appearance.
Contemplate the messages that come to us through Christmas cards. In the event that there was no Christmas, we would not have the option to get any Christmas cards. These cards bring messages that underline love, joy, hope, peace, and giving.
Unfortunately, the true meaning of Christmas seems to be slowly fading away. Christmas has become more and more commercialized over the years. It is all about how much we can spend, how much we can eat, how many days off from work we can get, and the list could go on and on.
Can we not see how much more evil this world would be if there had been no Christmas at all? There would be no hope for tomorrow. There would be no need for worship services, which means that there would probably be no church to attend. What a tragic contemplation!
We ought to unite our hearts in a humble prayer of appreciation and thanksgiving to God in view of the significance of Christmas. We ought to answer the adoration that descended on Christmas Day by supremely loving God and our brothers and sisters sincerely.
We ought to rejoice in the peace and harmony that descended on Christmas Day by living in amicable kinship with others. To really acknowledge the true meaning of Christmas, we undeniably need to allow Christ to live in our hearts and in our lives.
Suppose there is someone out there that does not know Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. I ask that you take time right now and invite Him into your heart before it is everlastingly too late.
For further reading:
What Does it Mean That Jesus Is the Reason for the Season?
How Do Many Christmas Movies Get the Meaning of Christmas Wrong?
What Is the Meaning of Christmas?
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