12/21/10
A Short Christmas Message
Here in Naijaa, and in other Christian Countries around the world we have taken the 25th day of December to remember and celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. His birth was very important no doubt. His birth was the beginning of the fulfillment of prophecies foretold hundreds of years in Israel's history before it happened. His birth signified that salvation has come, and was now available for all men! His birth was so important that we have the account in the book of Luke the 2nd chapter of an Angel appearing to the Shepherds that were watching their sheep in the fields at night to bring them the news of the Savior's birth by telling them “I bring you good news of great Joy, which shall be for all people”. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord”!And suddenly their was a heavenly host of Angels praising God and saying “Glory to God in the Highest, and on earth peace and good will toward men”. So Jesus' birth was indeed very important.
And yes, even though this is the time of the year that has been set aside, there are some that would say that Jesus was not born at this time of the year, and they are correct! There is ample scripture references to back up this point, but I am not here to debate that point or to teach on it, my point is this; we were never given a command to remember and celebrate year after year the birth of Christ, at least not in the way that it is being celebrated in these times. You see every year we want to put Christ back into the manger, we want to make him an infant again...well, that is simply not going to happen! Don't or can't we realize that Christ and the God-head or not to be compared to human things or even to earthly things!? We can't bring the sacredness and holiness of God down to fit our idea of what he is all about, he is far more than we can begin to comprehend. Paul made that point in Romans the 1st chapter, and this is why religion and carnal Christianity is the way it is today! We simply cannot continue to make an infinite and Holy God like unto us finite and corrupt men!
So; we were not commanded to yearly celebrate or remember his birth, however, we were commanded to remember and celebrate his death! We are told by Jesus and Paul that whenever we eat the bread and drink the wine, we show or remember Jesus' death until he comes again; Luke 22/1Corinthians 11. For you see, without his death we could not be reconciled unto the Father! It is his death that completed the perfect plan of God. If Jesus had somehow failed along the way during his earthly visit here, and succumb to the temptations of the enemy...as great and wonderful as his birth was...the plan of salvation for all men would have been forever lost, and we truly would be above all men most miserable! So let us consider this, Jesus Christ is not a baby anymore, and never again will be! He is the Lion of the Tribe of Juda, he is the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world! He is alive for evermore, and is seated at the right hand of Majesty on High and is forever making intersession for you, me and for all of mankind! I believe that if we re-invented the whole idea of Christmas and viewed it in this respect, there would be a greater impact on our Nation, and Churches...I believe that more men and women would repent and receive the Lord Jesus as their Savior!
If we could come to the understanding that Christmas, or better still, the birth of the Savior is the day in which salvation was made available to all mankind, for without it we would truly be lost and the only thing that we could look forward to after death, is the second death and eternal separation from God in Hell! Paul said it like this in Ephesians 2:12-13; that you were at that time without the Messiah, alienated from the citizenship of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who used to be far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
So Christmas if you will; what is it really all about? It's not about celebrating an infant or baby Jesus, it's about celebrating salvation that has now entered in the world whereby all men now can have peace, can receive peace with God, through the finished work that Christ came and did! The birth of the Savior was the beginning of the plan of Salvation that the Father had began long before the founding of the Earth!
B-blessed Everyone;
Michael
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