If you ask many people what Christmas means to them, you will get a few different replies. Some will say “Santa Claus”, ”family”, “a good meal”, “gifts”, “a day off”, and a bunch more. I have gone through the malls in the last few years and asked people that question, and those are a few of the answers that I got. When I pressed them to answer what the real meaning of Christmas was and how it was started, a lot of them really didn’t know.
If you look at what Christmas has become, I can see why people do not know why we celebrate Christmas. I am not talking about “Happy Holidays” here, I am talking about Christmas. There would be no holiday without Jesus Christ, who’s birth the Christmas holiday celebrates. Most people now are so caught up in gift buying and what they are going to get at Christmas, that they forget the original Christmas gift, the greatest gift that the world has ever know. God come in the flesh in the form of a baby, that will grow up to be the Savior of the whole world.
I saw a Christmas card the other day on Facebook, where a family took their pictures, but instead of smiling for the camera, they were all texting and playing their favorite video games.
I know that this is probably a joke, but it kind of describes our families in this era. We are so bound up in our electronic gadgets and TV or anything else that will entertain us, that we forget about the really important things, like family and love and caring for each other. I wish for even one day that we could lay aside our cell phones and other electronic paraphernalia and talk to one another, and really communicate with a real human being.
Anyway, the real meaning of Christmas, as I said before is to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Let me relate the story as it is written in Luke 2.
And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
“ Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.
Yes, Jesus is “the reason for the season” and because of His birth, death and resurrection, we can know for sure, without a doubt , that we are going to Heaven some day. But we need to accept that gift, just as we accept a gift from someone at Christmas. We have to take hold of it and receive it. If we don’t take it, and open it, it is not ours. It goes back to the giver of the gift. God is the giver of this gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. Will you receive it today?
It says in the Holy Bible that that “if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Would you like to do that today? Just pray this simple prayer and mean it from your heart.
God in Heaven, I know that I haven’t lived my life for you, but I would like to change that. I believe that Jesus came to this earth, died on the cross and you raised him from the dead. Jesus, I want you to come into my heart today, to be my Lord and Savior. Amen
