The whole world is celebrating Christmas. Major cities all over the world are adorning themselves with spectacular light displays, glowing angels and glinting trees. And in homes all across the globe, the festivities are elaborate. The Christmas trees with their tinsel, golden balls, lights and angels glow in the corner. The colourful presents under the trees are waiting to be opened. The turkeys are in the oven, the chocolates and crackers are on the table, the CD players are belting out Christmas carols…Joy to the world, the Lord is come, Let earth receive her king.
But in all the excitement and mayhem – the children are going wild – is anyone even listening to the words? Around the world, people of the Christian faith are going to churches: they are watching nativity plays and singing Christmas carols at the top of their lungs.
But is anyone thinking about the real meaning of Christmas? The next time you feel hyped up by the enswirling celebrations at Christmas time, here are five points to consider which highlight the real meaning of Christmas:
Even before the first Christmas, God was making remarkable miracles. The Holy Spirit’s impregnation of Mary ensured that Jesus, when he was born, was untainted by Adam’s sin, that the Christ who came into our world was the perfect God-man, even from birth: wholly God, wholly man. That’s why the virgin birth is so important. And if you’re sceptical about this miracle, consider the multiple miracles God has performed, all recorded for us in the Bible.
How incredible is that? That Jesus could leave the joys of heaven, that he could take on a mortal body, that he could be born in a stable. The King of the whole world! That through the birth of this baby, God had a plan for the whole world.
Apart from the fact that a King was born in a stable – pretty unusual in itself, think about all the other signs surrounding Jesus’ birth that point to how significant this event was for the whole world:
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 (Luke 10,11)
This baby boy, born to a humble carpenter and his obedient wife, could grow up to be the Saviour of the world!
At Christmas time, a great deal is made of the shepherds, the wise men, Mary and Joseph, finding no room in the inn and resorting to shelter in a stable. Children act out these events in various nativity plays around the world. But I don’t think enough is made of that word, Saviour. The birth of that baby boy has a mind-boggling importance for the WHOLE WORLD.
Look at Jesus in the stable, surrounded by his loving family, adoring shepherds and wise men, then flash forward 33 years to the cross. That is the real meaning of Christmas: a SAVIOUR born into our world who would shield us from his father’s just wrath by taking every sin on his own shoulders.
That is the real meaning of Christmas.
So next Christmas day, consider the abundant love God has for us – that he could send Jesus into the world to be born, to die and to be raised again – so that those of us who believe the Christian faith can be raised up too, to live with Jesus forever.
