Christmas Day is the day we give special attention to the birth of Jesus Christ.
The first announcement that the Savior had been born was delivered to sheepherders who were at work in the field. These were not cute little children in bathrobes with mop-handles. These were men or youth who worked with oily, ignorant sheep -- folks who did not blend with cultured society. They were not allowed to testify in court because they were not seen as trustworthy. But God saw them as people who needed and could appreciate one born to provide a remedy for their sin.
I love the fact that an angel came to announce the birth of The Savior to insignificant folks. I was raised oilfield trash … you know the guys with the bumper stickers that say: “Don’t tell my mother I work in the oil patch. She thinks I’m a piano player in a brothel.” I celebrate that the angel said, the birth of Jesus is cause for joy to people who are insignificant in society and to the chosen people of God, the Jews, and to all earth-dwellers. “… the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people… Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.’” Luke 2:10, 14 NASB
Brother Bob Hendrick, Lake Chapala Baptist Church
Christmas is a time of joy and celebration. We all should love Christmas! After all – Christmas is about a baby – the Baby Jesus – and everybody loves a baby!
But as we celebrate the birth of the Baby Jesus, we need to remember that Christmas is about far more than just a baby.
The Christmas story did not begin with the birth of Jesus, but with the promise by God throughout the Old Testament that he would send a Savior.
And the real Christmas story did not END with the birth of Baby Jesus, but with the promised sacrifice the adult man Jesus – who was also God’s son – would make on the cross to save all humanity.
So this Christmas remember that the Baby we celebrate came for a reason. Remember that He was and is Savior of the whole world, who came to give our lives meaning, to heal our hurts, and to give us eternal life.
Because, whether we are always aware of it or not, everybody needs a Savior, and everybody loves a Baby!
Ross Arnold, Lakeside Presbyterian Church
My wife Kay always asks me to add a thought or Scripture verse to our Christmas letter (which she always writes!) which captures the spiritual significance of Christmas. Of course, nothing can capture the real significance of what Christmas means for Christians – the Manifestation of the Incarnate God! This year I attempted to pick Scriptures which at least point in the direction of what Christmas means for us who believe in the Incarnation. I chose to combine a verse from Philippians with one from Galatians to form a beautiful expression of that meaning:
Christ Jesus . . . emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness . . . born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. – Philippians 2:7, Galatians 4:4 (NRSV)
“Adoption” is not as full of meaning as the Scriptures go on to reveal. In 2 Peter 1:4, we read that God’s intention by his gift to us of His eternal Word, his Son, is that we become partakers of His own Divine Nature. John 3:16 proclaims as many know by heart, “For God so loved the world that he gave us his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.”
Have a most blessed Christmas and a great eternal life!
Father Danny Borkowski, Christ Church Anglican Fellowship