The True Meaning of Christmas
The Christmas season is a time when we see the lights come on, we decorate trees, we buy and exchange presents, families share food and celebrate together, and most people take that much-needed holiday! But is that all there is to Christmas?
Growing up, I looked forward to Christmas. It was a time when my parents bought me a new dress, and we enjoyed a special Christmas Day meal. It was also a time at Sunday School, where I participated in the children's Christmas play and sang Christmas Carols. At this point in my life, Christmas was more of a tradition I observed at the end of every year. It was not something I thought a lot about on a spiritual level. Of course, I knew we were celebrating the birth of Jesus, but that was as far as it went.
As I have matured in my faith and grasped the gravity of Jesus's coming into this world, Christmas has taken on a much deeper meaning.
The best question one would ask here is, ‘Why was Jesus born?’ Such a question is legitimate. Most people associate Christmas with Santa and gifts. That’s what you will find in the media and the world around us. At Christmas, we celebrate the birth of Jesus.
Come with me on a journey to reveal the true meaning of Christmas.
The Message of Love and Hope
In a world marked by conflict, challenges, and struggles, one may wonder whether there is any hope and where it will come from. Jeremiah 29:11 reminds us that God is the source of our hope.
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
God declares the above promise to us because of His love for us. It would be right to say that anyone who loves you would wish you good things and a great future, wouldn’t it? That’s precisely what God does.
Another way God showed great love for His people was by sending His Son, Jesus Christ. John 3:16 declares that “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” This verse reveals the reason Jesus came into the world: to enable us to live and experience eternal life. John 3:19 tells us that through Jesus, light has come to the world to defeat the works of evil.
The Birth of God’s Son, Jesus
The birth of Jesus had been predicted long before it happened. Different prophets prophesied this in the Old Testament, as shown in the following verses:
Isaiah 9:6
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
Isaiah 7:14
“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.’
Matthew 1:18-25 recounts how an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph, who was engaged to Mary.
“Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.
But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus."
The Good News of Christmas
The birth of Jesus marked a time when humanity received good news from God as He sought to restore our relationship with Him. The angel appeared to the shepherds to let them know of the child who had been born in Bethlehem and said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11).
Why is this good news? Because Christ is the profound gift of God’s love and salvation from our sins. Jesus reminds us in John 14:6 that, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” So, by believing in Jesus' birth, death, and resurrection, we experience God’s love and salvation. Romans 10:9 – “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
As you enjoy the season of Christmas, may you reflect on the greatest gift that God offered to humankind, Jesus Christ, His son.
If you would like to know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, please pray this prayer:
Lord Jesus, I confess that I have sinned.
I ask you to come into my life. I accept you as my Lord and Savior.
Remove my name from the book of death and write it in the book of life.
I renounce Satan. I renounce the covenants and agreements of evil.
I give my life to you to be my Lord and Savior.
In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.
If you have prayed the above prayer, feel free to leave a comment below as a testimony of what the Lord has done for you. Shalom!