Christmas is almost upon us. I love the movies, the lights, the family time, the food, and the joy surrounding Christmas. There are so many great memories of grandparents, relatives, and childhood that flood my mind whenever this season is near. As the old song says, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year!”
In a few days, billions of people across the globe will gather to celebrate Christmas. There will be feasts, gatherings, and gift-exchanges. We will pause from working and spend time with family and friends. We will sing, eat, laugh, and play.
In the weeks leading up to December 25, we will have had parades, musicals, special worship services and other gatherings emphasizing the holiday, (holy-day), which focuses upon one particular child, the Christ-child, Jesus. “O, come let us adore Him Christ, the Lord.”
In Old Testament days the people yearned for an anointed deliverer, which we read as “Messsiah.” This word in Greek is understood in English as “Christ.” It is this deliverer whom we celebrate. This is the meaning of Christmas.
At the time of the New Testament, the people understood the Christ, the Messiah, would deliver them from foreign oppression. They looked for a mighty leader. Most of them misunderstood the real problem or the real oppressor from which they needed deliverance. They thought Rome was the culprit that gave them trouble.
The culprit was much greater than an earthly government. The true culprit was the inability of humans to act ethically pure and sinless. This manifest in selfishness. Selfishness took the form of pride, cruelty, theft, and numerous other actions, attitudes, and words that simply show a “me first” and “I get what I want when I want it” attitude. Selfishness brought arguments, fights, and disharmony among people, communities, families, and even between spouses. To make up for this self-centeredness of individuals, atonement was paid in the form of religious offerings to God on a very regular basis. These offerings made people more and more frustrated because no matter how they tried, they just could not stop sinning and thus it was necessary to repetitively continue these offering to make up for their sins. This process made them long for a Messiah, a Christ, a Deliverer.
Jesus came. He entered the earth as a baby boy. He came as the Deliverer, not to deliver people from an oppressive government, but to deliver them from the penalty of their selfishness – their sin. He came because of love.
The problem with sin is it has a cost. All sin has earthly consequence, but it also has eternal consequence. If Heaven is perfect, it would cease to be perfect the minute any sin entered into it. God simply cannot allow sin into Heaven. God is loving, but He is also just.
All of this is still true today. We understand justice when we see someone get away with something that harmed someone else. We sometimes demand justice. Somehow, we know it is unfair for harm to be committed without some form of punishment given to the violator. We get it. Sin has consequences.
When we sin, we not only commit that sin against another person, but we also violate God’s commandments. We rebel against God. That rebellion against the Creator of the universe makes us guilty. Our guilt deserves punishment.
Thank God for Jesus. The baby we celebrate next week came to take the punishment for our sins. He came to be the sacrifice for our sins. He came to take the death penalty for us. What a gift! Instead of getting what we deserve, we have been given an offer of receiving eternal life through Jesus. He takes our guilt and gives us His innocence. That is the best gift-exchange ever!
To receive this gift of God’s grace, each of us must respond in faith, believing Jesus is truly the Son of God and that God raised him from the dead after He was sacrificed. He lives today! This baby, whose birth we celebrate, came to deliver us, to be the sacrifice for sins, and to give us eternal life. Each of us must individually respond.
At Christmas, I pray you understand the gift of Jesus. Not only do I pray you logically understand, but I pray you have faith to accept this gift. I pray your celebrations reflect the truth that Jesus came to be so much more than a child in a manger. He came that you might have life – that your life on earth, and in Heaven, can be abundant.
Merry Christmas in all its richness. May the God of peace dwell in your heart and home. May you truly know and celebrate the true gift, the Son of God, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, and the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ!
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