What is Christmas really?

What does Christmas really mean? Why is it called Happy or Merry?

 

What does Christmas have to do with Jesus Christ? What about drinks, partying and Santa Claus?

To answer these questions let us start from the beginning…

 

Does God exist?

When you look at a painting, you know that there was a painter. In the same way, using your mind, when you look at creation in all its complicated design, you understand that there has to be a Creator, whom we would call God.

 

Can you tell me more about this God?

He is powerful and very wise [obviously, to have created us and the world around in such a complex yet interdependent way]. God is Holy, God is good, and He is full of love. God hates lying, hatred, partiality, greed and other sins that we as humans tend to commit.  Yet, the Bible says, He loves the person who sins.

 

Who is Jesus Christ?

Jesus was not just a good man, a great teacher or an inspired prophet. God himself came to earth as Jesus Christ. He was born to a virgin. He led a sinless life. He died at the age 33. He was buried. He came alive again on the third day. He ascended into heaven where he became both Lord and Christ.

 

Why did God come as the man Jesus Christ?

We humans are made in image of God. Due to our tendency to sin, we have been separated from God and his plans for us. God hates sin, and a just God has to punish sin. God out of his immense love for us came to earth to bear the punishment for the sins committed by us.

Jesus’ death and resurrection on our behalf satisfied God’s requirement – complete provision for our sin. This Jesus and no one else, is qualified to be the remedy for my sin and yours.

 

What is sin?

First, we must understand that we are separated from God. The chasm dividing us is both wide and deep. We inherited a fatal defect at birth. As a result, we have lived our lives independently from him. The Bible calls this Sin: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

If we can’t come to grips with the fact that sin separates us from God, we’ll never come home spiritually.

Sin is anything which we do for selfish reasons – as a disobedience to God’s will. Usually it leads to a feeling of guilt.

Won’t following the laws mentioned in the Holy books save us from sin?

Holy Books are like traffic lights, warning us of danger. But do traffic lights save us if we do not follow them? We all have a tendency to sin, disobey God and His laws.

Won’t fear of punishment make us follow the law then?

Not for long. The tendency to sin is in our heart and it cannot go away unless through self-effort or will power. If your child obeys you only out of fear, and not out of love, would you be happy? In the same way, God wants us to follow Him out of love for Him.

How can we love God? Can’t we generate that love for God on our own?

No. The love God had for us is unconditional, and it is only when we realize what He has done for us that we can really love Him. Once you realize the full extent of His love for you, your life will change and He will give you a new heart as promised in the Bible.

What is the punishment for sin?

The Bible says in Isaiah 59:2 your sins have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you. And Romans 6:23 the wages of sin is death. DO NOT BE DECEIVED!  “Death” does not mean you cease to exist!

Cowards turn away from God, and unbelievers, and the corrupt, and murderers, and the immoral, and those who practice witchcraft, and idol worshipers, and all liars doom in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This is the second death.

How can we pay the price for our sins then?

No one can pay the price for their own sins. The punishment for sin is death. Left to ourselves and to our own religions and their ways, we would all perish. Before God, our efforts to pay for our sins, by doing penance or good works or going for pilgrimages, are like dirty rags.

After physical death, your spirit will come before God. He will ask you how you have paid the price for your sin. If you depend on the good deeds you have done, He has to punish you with eternal separation from God, in the place called Hell where the fire burns forever.

 

 

Then who can save us?

God alone!  He did for us what we could never do for ourselves.

Ephesians 2:8-9 for by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God–not because of works, lest any man should boast.

What is this grace?

Grace is God taking on Himself the punishment due on us,  by dying on the Cross. There is no concept of a merciful loving God who has paid the price for our sins by Himself in any other Holy Scripture or philosophy on earth except the Holy Bible.

Also Jesus Christ, since He was without any sin right from birth, was the only one who actually could fulfil Gods price, the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all those who believe in Him.

How can God take on human form?

Why not? Who are we to limit God? In true terms, celebrate Christmas which marks the appearing or manifestation of God.

How did Jesus pay for my sins?

He was the only human who lived a sinless life. God’s standards are much higher than ours. God demanded a perfect sinless life to be given up as the price for sin. Jesus was the only one who could fulfil that demand. Jesus paid the price for your sins and mine by giving up his own life at the age of 33 on the cross by crucifixion. In my place, He died so that I may live. He came alive after three days and appeared to almost five hundred people for over forty days before ascending to Heaven.

God forgave your sins through Jesus Christ. That is the Good News that the Bible proclaims.

Some people think that Jesus did not die on the cross?

Why would anyone teach you that unless they want you to reject God’s only way out from sin and death for you? If Jesus did not die, and if He did not come alive again on the third day, there remains no other way out for humans to escape the guilt, power and consequences of sin. Also, obviously ten disciples of Jesus and countless martyr’s would not have given up their life to defend a lie.

What must I do then?

Personal repentance is vital in the transformation process.

Repentance literally means “a change of mind.” It is to say to God, “I want to turn toward you and away from the life I’ve lived independently from you. I am sorry for who I’ve been and what I have done and I want to permanently change. I receive your forgiveness, through Jesus Christ, for my sins.”

As your love for God increases, He gives you power to overcome sin! You will find that you are being transformed into a new person, who loves more and follows the law of God out of his own heart’s desire!

God wants you to win, but He will never force you to accept Him. Please take your time, pray and decide. This could be the most important decision in your life. The word of God says now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slanders, and dirty language.

 

Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old evil nature and all its wicked deeds. In its place you have clothed yourselves with a brand-new nature that is continually being renewed as you learn more and more about Christ, who created this new nature within you. Everyone knows that there is no such person as Santa Claus. So if you tell your children there is, then you have LIED to them.

If you tell them there is a Santa Claus who they cannot see or touch, but just believe. Then later in life they find out you lied, and there is no Santa Claus. At the same time you tell them about Santa you tell them about Jesus who they also cannot see, nor touch. Do you not think that they will have a hard time truly believing in Jesus when they get older? All the time having an inner turmoil remembering there was no Santa, so how can there really be a Jesus.

Remember, Santa Claus, partying and drinks have nothing to do with the Christmas of Jesus Christ!

Christmas is not about Santa or presents, it is about Jesus, and is a celebration for the birth of thy savior.

 

My dear brothers and sisters, the only way to give our children a firm foundation that they need, is to never lie to them. We need to teach them the true meaning of Christmas.

 

So Christmas isn’t about giving gifts to each other (which we do also), but it is about the greatest gift ever given, the birth and death of Jesus Christ, and our walk with Him. So this, Christmas consider the gift that God has given you two thousand years ago, and think about your walk with Him.

Don’t let Christ birth and death be in vain, make sure you are ready to meet Him face to face. Accept the gift of eternal Life, God has already purchased it for you, wrapped it with His love, and sent it to you by way of the Cross.

 

Wish you real peace and joy this Christmas and for your life ahead.