Experiencing Christmas
Of the holidays in our culture, there are very few in which we can say that they have biblical significance and that they provide the opportunity to share with others about our Lord Jesus Christ. Holy Week (Easter) and Christmas are two periods of time when we can share with others about our Lord Jesus Christ. Holy Week comes chronologically before Christmas in the year. During Christmas we celebrate Advent, the coming of the Son of God as human through the virgin birth. Isaiah prophesied of this child that he would become the King of Israel and consequently our King.
“This will happen when the special child is born. God will give us a son who will be responsible for leading the people. His name will be “Wonderful Counselor, Powerful God, Father Who Lives Forever, Prince of Peace.” His power will continue to grow, and there will be peace without end. This will establish him as the king sitting on David’s throne and ruling his kingdom. He will rule with goodness and justice forever and ever. The strong love that the Lord All-Powerful has for his people will make this happen!.” Isaiah 9:6-7
This was fulfilled on that first Christmas. Luke 1:32-33 tells us, “He will be great. People will call him the Son of the Most High God, and the Lord God will make him king like his ancestor David. He will rule over the people of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”.”
His birth is significant not only because it speaks of his incarnation but also of his perfect life that he lived as a human for thirty-three years. His life needed to be perfect in order to save us. In other words, to save us he had to live a perfect life because only a perfect life could be offered as a sacrifice for us. And that is the purpose of his coming, he came to die. This is the meaning of Holy Week.
But going back to Christmas, people during this time seek happiness through what is temporary. They seek joy through family celebrations, sharing with others, giving gifts but all this lacks permanence. Others are so involved in the business of the season that in the ends up leaves them tired and ready to return to normal life. There is no doubt that for many it is a religious time to observe and remember the birth of Christ. Even for non-religious it is a time to think about others and to be generous.
But for us who have believed in the message of the Good News of the First Christmas, the meaning of is a reality we have experienced. This became a reality for us at a specific time when someone told us about Christ and shared with us the message of how Christ died, was buried, and rose again so that by believing in him through faith we would have forgiveness of our sins. It was at that time that we experienced Christmas. Jesus, the promised Savior, saved us from our sins and gave us new life. He is a reality in our lives today. Your life today may not be committed to Him, you may be cold in your relationship with him, and you may have left your first love, but he is still real.
This Christmas I invite you, if you are already a believer, to worship him as your King and commit yourself to love him even more. I also invite you to share with others the Good News of Christmas.
If you’re not a believer, it’s a good time to bend your knees like the wise men, shepherds, and many others did and recognize Him as your Savior and Lord. Surrender your life to Him. Experience the true meaning of Christmas!
