This week of Christmas, Michael asks that if someone from another culture who didn’t know anything about Christmas asked you, “what’s the meaning of Christmas?”, what would you tell them? If you know John 3:16, then you know the meaning of Christmas. God surrendered his only begotten son, For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. The angels heralded the advent of the Son of God.
In John 4:10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”
At Christmas, we wonder what gifts we should give our loved ones. God so loved that He gave a gift. The greatest Christmas present is the presence of his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. The angels declared, Joy to the World, the Lord is come. Good tidings of great joy was the message of the first Christmas announcement to the Shepherds by the angels on that Judean hillside.
Ephesians 2:5-9 tells us that “even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
Jesus came to give us peace: Peace on earth good will toward men. The Prince of Peace has come. John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” Peace is the absolute end of all strife and contention between God and man. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. Jesus Christ is the perfect lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the world. For he who was without sin was made the perfect sacrifice for sin on our behalf that we may be made the righteousness of God in him.
Christmas is the announcement of great joy which shall be to all people, for unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior which is Christ the Lord. Joy to the world is not the absence of pain, rather Joy is the presence of the Lord. Though we may have lost loved ones this past year, we grieve not as others who have no hope. We have the hope of the resurrection and the hope of eternal life. Jesus was God’s plan of redemption and there is no plan “B”. He is our salvation, our joy and our hope of life.
God has revealed the light of His Son in our hearts. The light of Christ will break through the darkness of this world. The celebration of Christmas is to celebrate the life of the spirit of Christ in us, the hope of glory. It’s not about us, it’s about Him. "Christmas" is a shortened form of "Christ's mass". The word is recorded as Crīstesmæsse in 1038 and Cristes-messe in 1131. Crīst (genitive Crīstes) is from Greek Khrīstos (Χριστός), a translation of Hebrew Māšîaḥ (מָשִׁיחַ), "Messiah", meaning "anointed"; and mæsse is from Latin missa, the celebration of the Eucharist. The message of Christmas is “Christos mass” May we be ever be mindful of the gift of Christmas presence … the presence of God in Christ in us! And may we may ever live to the praise of the glory of His grace.
Your brother in Christ, Michael
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