Christmas is a great time of the year! There are so many things that can grab our attention and so much to celebrate.
No doubt we enjoy the time with family and hopefully a little more time off work.
We enjoy the special foods, and we might even get in on a couple of Christmas dinners and perhaps some of grandma's famous dessert.
For kids, it's probably the presents that hold the greatest interest at this time of the year. For Marnie and me one of the highlights is family, especially our twin grandsons who are 16 months old.
With all that is going on during the season, it's easy to overlook the true meaning of Christmas. Christmas certainly is a wonderful time, but what are we really celebrating?
The true meaning of Christmas is the celebration of God stepping into our world. We are all familiar with the baby in the manger, but the amazing truth is that baby Jesus was God coming in human flesh.
Speaking of Jesus' birth, in Matt. 1:23 we read, “the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son and they will call him Immanuel, which means God with us.” Jesus was God Himself, come to live in our midst. This is almost too much to comprehend!
In Luke 2:10,11 we see part of the angel's announcement to the shepherds. “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the Town of David a Saviour has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord.”
Jesus came to be our Saviour. Not only did Jesus come to live with us but also He came to die for us. Jesus was God in the flesh and He was also a perfect man, so He could die in our place to pay for our sins. The message of Christmas is not just the baby in the manger, but the coming of a Saviour. Could there be any better news?
I would encourage you to enjoy the Christmas season. Enjoy the time with family, the food, the presents, but let's make sure we remember the true meaning of Christmas.
Jesus was no ordinary baby; He came to provide salvation to those who would believe. How amazing! This is certainly something well worth celebrating.
Andrew Rilling is a pastor at the Innisfail Alliance Church.
