What is Christmas?

At this special time of year most people in the Western world think about getting lots of presents and sitting down to Turkey dinners and spending time with family. Now that is all well and good and family is incredibly important. But there is something innately wrong with how the vast majority of folks in the UK, USA and other western nations celebrate Christmas time. The primary driver for a great many is buying presents and eating and drinking alcohol to excess.

The dominant figure in December in most people's minds is Santa Claus. That is wrong, plain wrong. Yes there is a place for Santa Claus at Christmas but surely only for young children to add to the excitement of where presents come from under the tree. I am not trying to be a killjoy here, I am sincerely trying to make the point that Christmas is first and foremost about Jesus and remembering what He did for us and what Christmas is really about. To the vast majority baby Jesus is just a cute story about a baby in a manger. But make no mistake THAT BABY WAS GOD - and he came to save mankind from sin and death. 

Yes the most important person at this time of year is The Lord Jesus Christ, God in the flesh. The creator of the universe who stepped out of Heaven, because of His limitless love and mercy, to become a man to save us from God's righteous wrath. Jesus suffered and died a horrific death to make us right with our Heavenly Father again.

John 3:17

'For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.'

Everything that we are and everything we have is from God. He holds the balance of the universe in his hands and maintains absolutely everything with His incredible endless power. 

So at Christmas time we should remember above all that God sent his only begotten Son from Heaven to earth to die for us, to take our sins upon Himself, to defeat death and bring everlasting life to those who believe and call Him Lord.

Surely there is no greater present that we can receive than that.

God wants a relationship with every one of His children. He wants you to turn to him. He wants our faith and commitment to love and honour Him, to repent and focus on Him, at Christmas and every other day of the year.

Romans 10:9

'That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved.'

Whether you are turning to The Lord Jesus Christ for the very first time or whether you are turning to Him for strength, peace or guidance - It doesn't matter. If you are turning to Him, you are turning in the right direction.

Proverbs 3:5-6

'Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him. And He shall direct your paths.'