Christmas: The Reason for the Season.
Artwork of “The Angel Appearing Before the Shepherds” File / Archive
Luke 2:11 KJV — For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
Photo: “Christmas at the Mall” File / Archive
Welcome to another busy frantic Christmas season. We hustle from mall to mall looking for that perfect gift. Decorate the tree, baking sugar cookies and wrapping presents. Suddenly, there’s a knock on the door and as it opens Christmas carollers are there ready to sing all the traditional songs including “Silent Night.” When they finish they wish you a Merry Christmas and wave goodbye. While walking away someone yells out, “Remember the reason for the season!” A reminder that we sometimes forget during this very joyful season.
Artwork of “The baby Jesus in a manger” File / Archive
Luke 2:12 KJV — And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
There are many who argue, “Why is it important for us to recognize the birth of Jesus? It’s too commercialized anyway.” The Christmas season is called “The Holiday Season” and has been called that for decades. Traditional gatherings and festivals have been replaced by shopping sprees and vacation giveaways. Christmas is replaced with “X-Mas” and it’s all because they don’t want to recognize Christ. In Alpharetta, Georgia, a megachurch pastor is questioning the significance of the virgin birth by making the claim that it is not the most crucial element of the Christian faith.
Matthew 1:23 KJV — Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
The angel of God had come to both Mary and Joseph to let them know of the pending miracle that was going to befall them. Andy Stanley, pastor of the North Point Community Church doesn’t deny the virgin birth but he wanted to acknowledge the viewpoint of individuals who are skeptical about it. Though he claims that he is misunderstood by presenting the unbelievers point of view the response to his sermon on the matter has met with criticism. God spoke through the prophets about the coming Messiah. About 700 years before Christ, the prophet Isaiah prophesied concerning the birth of Jesus.
Isaiah 7:14 KJV — Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
This prophecy was fulfilled with the birth of Jesus, a son, born through divine conception in a virgin, without a human father. A couple of chapters later, Isaiah prophesied about the birth of Jesus again,
Isaiah 9:6-7 KJV — For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
God had promised a Saviour for his people and for the rest of the world. The fulfillment of the promise were recorded in Matthew and Luke to verify that the Messiah had been born. Without it how could we have known that the man that was crucified on the cross and risen from the dead 3 days later was the Son of God? We must believe that Jesus Christ is more than just a holy man, a prophet, or a martyr. He is the complete, eternal God in the flesh. This is a basic item of the Christian faith. We can gain a deeper appreciation for the birth of Jesus Christ. God did not save us by somehow reaching down from the heavens in an objective way. The unapproachable God Himself became an approachable, contactable, knowable man.
Artwork of “Joseph, Mary and Jesus” File / Archive
Jesus, who was born in the manger, fully expressed the very God in all His rich being and person to mankind. God’s love, mercy, righteousness, holiness, compassion and glory were and still are expressed in the humanity of Christ. By believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, we are saved and have everlasting life. Jesus is the reason for the season and we should always be thankful for the gift our Heavenly Father gave us on that wonderful night.
Luke 1:32-33 KJV — He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
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