Christmas Underfire

We celebrate Christmas every year, yet every year that passes, it seems as if the TRUE meaning of “why” we celebrate Christmas is fading away and is being masked by other non-essential things which may seem very attractive but isn’t really the real essence of the whole celebration. It’s wonderful to see beautiful houses with decorations and wonderfully-colored lights, Christmas trees with a lot of presents underneath that every kid looks forward to open and a bunch of food that we can’t wait to devour with the whole family, but then in celebrating this occasion, if we forget to put emphasis on the baby that was born in Bethlehem about 2000 years ago, then we’ve truly missed out on the whole point of the celebration.

If I were to survey a number of kids on the street and ask them to tell me what Christmas is about, what would most of their responses be? Between the name of Jesus Christ and Santa Clause, which name would most likely ring-a-bell to their ears? Though, I won’t deny that St. Nicholas of Myra aka “Santa Claus” ever existed, even if his image has been fabricated in a totally different way over the years, which of the two do you think should take precedence?

I’ve entitled this article “Christmas under fire” because for me, I believe the true meaning of Christmas has truly been sabotaged throughout the ages. The gifts we receive on Christmas are nothing compared to the gift that God has given to humanity 2000 years ago. If the greatest representation of LOVE could be wrapped in a box and given to each one of us then it has already been given, but even better…this gift wasn’t an inanimate object, this gift of LOVE was ALIVE.

God, creator of ALL things, is LOVE. As the bible declares in 1 John 4:8 and I quote, “but whoever does not love does not know God, for GOD IS LOVE.”, and if God wanted to give us the greatest gift of His love, He would give nothing else but Himself. 1 John 3:16 says and I quote, “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us.” Jesus Christ, the 2nd person of the triune GOD, became flesh (John 1:14), born of a virgin, vulnerable and humbled as a baby, walked among those whom He created (John 1:3) to feel their pain, to carry their burden, to restore their lives and to let us know that we are loved more than we could ever imagine.

As we celebrate Christmas with our families, may we be constantly reminded of that baby in a manger in that small town of Bethlehem. Isaiah 9:6 says and I quote, “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.” Though not all of us will be with our families for Christmas, nor even have any presents to open, may we be blessed to know that GOD didn’t hold back the greatest present He could give each and everyone one of us during this time. JESUS (He shall save people from their sins) CHRIST (Anointed), is IMMANUEL (GOD with us), who came that we may receive His GIFT of Salvation. Blessed CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!