BY ISAIAH OGEDEGBE
Christmas is the commemoration of the birth of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. The date widely accepted as the celebration of His birth is December 25th of every year. By celebrating Christmas, Jesus Christ—the central figure of Christianity and the bedrock of our faith—becomes our sole focus. We now celebrate His birth, which brought to us divine love, hope, and salvation. Indeed, His birth brought peace, joy, uncommon grace, and reconciliation with God. Now, we can call Him: “Abba, Father.” Because Jesus Christ was born, we have peace with God that passes all understanding.
Christmas is more than a religious observance; it is more than a commercial juggernaut for traders and businesses. As a matter of fact, it is the bedrock of our faith; for if Jesus Christ had not been born, He would not have lived to die for us. Therefore, Christmas reflects the divine mission that Jesus Christ came to accomplish on earth, which is to save humanity from sin.
Christmas: The Celebration of Incarnation
Christmas is an expression of the word “incarnation.” By celebrating Christmas, we celebrate God becoming man. He became Emmanuel, that is, “God with us.” According to the Apostles’ Creed, He was “conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary.” Christmas points us believers to a certain time in the history of the world when God sent His only begotten Son in the flesh as a baby to earth to grow up and eventually die for our sins.
With His birth, we saw light at the end of the tunnel for humanity. With His sacrifice on the Cross, death, and resurrection, we became carriers of that divine light.
A Season Often Misunderstood
Christmas has a true purpose, but many people have missed its essence. To some, Christmas means a time for merriment, festivity, holiday, and rest. To others, it is a time for sharing gifts and giving out food and drinks. While it is not out of place to demonstrate agape love, kindness, generosity, and goodwill during the festive season, we must not lose sight of the main purpose of our celebration. Jesus Christ is the reason for the season, and we must celebrate His birth in God’s way, not the way of the world. The people of the world now blend this noble Christian celebration with secular and even traditional festivities by fixing the dates of ungodly street carnivals and idol worship to almost coincide with Christmas. No wonder it is often said that when purpose is not defined, abuse is inevitable.
Probably because of a lack of understanding of the true purpose of Christmas, a lot of social vices are perpetuated during the festive season. The level of evil is very high. I do not want to focus on that, but what I must tell us now is that there is a need for us to be Christ-like and modest, so that we will neither miss the very essence of Christmas nor ridicule the reason for the season.
The Core of the Christmas Message
Jesus Christ came as the only antidote to sin in fulfillment of biblical prophecies. Even though He is God, He identified with us by becoming one of us. He is the Master who humbled Himself by becoming a servant. He knew no sin, yet He became sin for us, that through Him we might become the righteousness of God. He came as a conqueror over diseases, death, and the devil in a practical demonstration of the power of God. He came to give us divine love, hope, and salvation. He also came to give us peace and joy in their fullness. That glorious message of our salvation has not changed from year to year, because Jesus Christ is just the same today. By celebrating Christmas, we know that God truly loves us, is with us, and is for us always. Not just yesterday, not just today, but forever. Unlike most things on earth, God’s love neither expires nor comes to an end.
Christmas is also an expression of John 3:16, the practical demonstration of God’s agape love to a world of lost sinners. The only condition that God has attached to it is: “Only Believe.” If we can only believe, we will be forgiven and set free. If we can only believe, all things will be possible and holiness will be attainable.
The True Purpose: An Annual Reminder
The true purpose of Christmas is to annually remind us of how much God cares about us, to come to our rescue. God really looked beyond us and gave us His dear Son as a propitiation for our sins. We did not deserve such a great sacrifice, but God allowed Him to die in our place to take our sins away. Born in a manger, He became poor, that through His poverty we might become opulent. He was despised and rejected by men, that we might be accepted by God. Our joy is complete in Jesus Christ, because His birth marked the dawn of a new hope of salvation for humanity.