It's Christmas time again!! The season of joy and hope. The season of celebration. Everywhere we look, we find colorful lights and stars, bells and hollies, decorated christmas trees and houses in festive mood. Hah! Everything in red and green! But is this christmas all about?!
Christmas is indeed a season of great joy! It brings us tidings of comfort and peace. Christmas is when we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, remembering God's great love for mankind. Jesus, the savior of the whole world is the hero of the season. The real joy of Christmas is when we make Jesus the reason for this season. Jesus is the light of our Christmas, the joy of our hearts and the only hope of the world.
The first Christmas! :
Around 2000 years ago, there in a little town of Bethlehem, the king of glory and of the whole world, God's own son was born. No, not in a palace as you would think but in a stable, as a poor and a humble little baby. His name is Jesus. The angels came down from heaven and sang on that night. The Shepherds came and worshipped the new born King. The wisemen brought presents to the Messiah. But why was Jesus born in a barn?! Because He wanted to show that He came to the world for everybody! Yeah! For the rich and the poor, the weak and the strong, the short and the tall, the black and the white and for you too!!
"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His namr will be called WONDERFUL, COUNSELOR, MIGHTY GOD, EVERLASTING FATHER, PRINCE OF PEACE." (Isaiah 9:6)
Why should God come to this world as a human? Why should Jesus be born? Does the world really in need of a savior?
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16).The Bible says that we all are born with a sinful nature. Through the disobedience of Adam and Eve, sin inherited the world. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. There is none righteous, no, not one.( Romans 3:10-12). The wages of sin is death but the gift of God through Jesus is eternal life.The only way we can get rid off this sin is through Jesus and His blood. "For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's(Jesus) obedience many will be made righteous."( Romans 5:19)
Jesus came to the world to die for the sins of the world and deliver us from the power of decieving satan. He came as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!! He died for us that sin maynot enslave us. "He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed." Are you thinking why should Jesus do all this? He did because He loves you and He wants to give you the eternal life and peace. He wants you to became a partaker of His kingdom. "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."( Romans 5:8) Jesus demonstrated His love and compassion for you on the cross to redeem you and make you as His loved possession.
When we confess with all our hearts and ask Jesus to come into our hearts, He will forgive us because He is only One who has the right to forgive our sins. He alone is the God of salvation, infact He alone is the AUTHOR of salvation. He is the only God who died for mankind and He is the way to eternal life. Jesus said, "I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE. NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER EXCEPT THROUGH ME". (John 14:6). Heaven is the place we belong to and we dont belong here just like Jesus didnot belong to this world. Isn't your heart touched as you gaze first on that humble birth scene, then hear the cry from that cross? It was for you!!
Where is Jesus now? Is He ever gonna come back? If yes, when will He be coming? What is He gonna do by coming back?!
JESUS who died for us, rose up on the third day defeating the power of death and conquering the grave. He was taken up to heaven. He is now ALIVE FOREVERMORE!! He is with us, here in our midst and with the people who worship Him to the ends of the age. He never leaves us alone. The Lord said to David, "I will make sure that one of your descendants will always be a king". As promised the Everlasting King Jesus Christ came down to earth as a little baby to die for the sins of mankind, leaving His throne in heaven. He would return to His throne and rule His own people with righteousness forever. He is gonna come back again not as a humble baby in the manger, not as lamb to be slained but as the KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS to judge the world with fairness and render to each one according to his deeds! Yeah!! He is coming soon.
"....time shall delay no longer".(Revelation 10: 5,6)
"He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still. And behold I am coming quickly and My reward is with me to give to everyone according to his work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Blessed are those who do His commandments,that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter througth the gates into the city. But outside are dogs and sorcerors and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters and whoever loves and practices a lie."( Revelation 22: 11-15)
Do you want to be called as the Children of God?! Here's what you should do.
"But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become the children of God, to those who beleive in His name." (John 1:12). So when you believe that Jesus is the son of God and receive Him in your hearts, you will be called as God's children.
"Listen! I am standing and knocking at the door. If you hear my voice and open the door, i will come in and we will eat together." (Revelation 3:20). When you open your hearts to Jesus and heed to His voice, He comes in and dwells in you! Yes, He gives you the authority and previlege of being called as the Children of the Most High. You will become the temple of God. He also promises to give you the eternal life, when you abide in Him and His words till the end. And till He comes back to get you to Him, He seals you with His Holy Spirit. What more can you ask?! Being a child of God would be the greatest blessing you could ever receive!! Yeah!!
What can I give Jesus,
Poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd,
I would bring a lamb;
If I were a wise man,
I would do my part;
Yet what can I give Him?
Give my heart! -Christina Rossetti.
So what are you going to gift Jesus this Christmas?! No better gift than giving yourself just as you are!
"Donot be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great Joy which will be to all people."( Luke 2:10).Jesus came to bring joy to ALL people by redeeming them through His blood. He brought life and light to all who were dead and living in darkness. The story of the world meeting the word-God in flesh is a story of the whole world finding their joy in God!! "And the word became flesh and dwelt among us."( John 1:14).The world found the real joy through Jesus Christ. The world didnot give it to us and so the world cannot take it away!
How can you have a meaningful Christmas?!
The true meaning of christmas is the celebration of the greatest demonstration of God's love for His people, the people of the world. The central truth of Christmas story is 'God's love'. The child of Christmas is GOD - JESUS CHRIST.
This season should be the time when we find joy in GIVING with love. 'Giving' brings in the spirit of Christmas. We give as a remembrance of all that Jesus has given to us. It is more blessed to give than to receive. Let us come out of our busy lives and become more focussed and interested in people- all the needy, the poor and the thirsty SOULS! Let our gifts contain eternal value, leading people into light, joy and happiness, bringing them out of darkness. Go tell it on the mountains over the hills and everywhere, what we have received freely with selflessness and love.
As the Christmas season and the spirit of the celebration surrounds us, may we be like the star that guided the wise men to the savior. Let the world meet the savior in their hearts and lives through us!
Let us not make Christmas a season but a celebration of Jesus being born in our hearts everyday! Rejoicing in His birth every moment and enjoying His presence all the time! Only then CHRISTMAS becomes a true celebration in our lives! A christian cannot run his life with yesterday's glory!!
"You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of JOY; at Your right hand are PLEASURES forevermore."(Psalm 16:11)
Have a JOY-FILLED Christmas in CHRIST!! GBU!!! :) :)
~Blessed Christian.
P.S. If you wanna know more about Jesus Christ, I appreciate and encourage you to get a copy of the Holy Bible and read it. Let the God's Holy Spirit guide you. Amen!
