Christmas is almost here, and many of us are preparing for time spent with family and friends. Despite the decorations, presents, and busyness that comes with this time of year, Christmas is a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, and what His birth means for each and every one of us.
From a young age, many of us have heard and learned about the Christmas Story. We have read Bible stories about the angel who appeared to Mary, how a star led three wise men to Jesus, and why Mary had to give birth to Jesus in a manger in Bethlehem. Hymns and Bible verses have painted a picture of what it must have been like for Mary and Joseph to welcome their baby, the King of kings, into the world, but what does this story mean to each and every one of us? Why did God send His Son to earth? It is because God wanted to give us the greatest present of all.
Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. – 1 John 4:8
When Adam and Eve first sinned, shame entered into the world. Adam and Eve could no longer come close to God because their sin prevented them from having a deeper relationship with Him. God knew that something had to be done to help His children reconcile their sin and come back to Him. God had to make the ultimate sacrifice, out of His love for us.
Like each and every one of us, God has a plan for our lives; one that is better than we could ever imagine. For us to be washed of our sins, God set out a plan for Jesus’s life. God knew that Jesus would have to come to earth and live amongst the people; spreading the good news about God. He also knew that Jesus would have to die on the cross and be risen from the dead so that our sins could be washed away. It is only through God’s sacrifice of His Son that we would be able to have everlasting life.
On Christmas, when we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, we can celebrate the beginning of our redemption. Jesus was born of this world so that we could come closer to our Heavenly Father, and live a life of grace and love. This Christmas, let us celebrate the greatest gift we have ever received; one that came in the form of a baby boy who was born in a manger.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
John 3:16