Luke 2:10-11 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
I love Christmas. Especially now that I am reborn and understand the true meaning of it. Christmas is the celebration of the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The truth is, December 25th is not the true birth date of Jesus. No one actually knows His real birthday – though many speculate – no one is truly certain of the date.
So, how did we come up with 12/25? In 325 A.D., Emperor Constantine (who had recently converted to Christianity), assembled a council at Nicea. They were tasked with coming up with a uniformed set of rules to unify the empire under Christ. Most Romans were Pagans. In fact, before Constantine, Christians were murdered and persecuted for 300 years by the Romans. The council – in an attempt to please the Pagans and make their transition easier – chose 12/25 as the day we celebrate the birth of our Lord. You see, 12/25 is actually the winter solstice which used to be a Pagan holiday. Christians replaced the worship of false gods with the worship of the one true King, Jesus Christ. What was once a Pagan holiday has become a day to honor the only true Lord of Lords.
As a child, I learned about Jesus and the nativity in Sunday School. But, like many children, I worshiped the fat man in the red suit known as Santa Claus because I thought he brought me presents. I had no concept of the true gift of salvation. A lot of people don’t really understand how important the birth of Christ is. The greatest Christmas gift that God gave us all is Jesus Christ our Lord. There is nothing wrong with giving and receiving gifts as a symbol of love and goodwill. It is wonderful to be together and celebrate, but we must make sure we celebrate our Lord and that He is our focus – not a tree, dinner or presents. Those things must be shared in remembrance of our King. We may only exchange gifts once a year, but we should celebrate Jesus every day. We should come together and worship Him with praise and fellowship at least once a week.
I want all of you to take moment and reflect on the majesty of Christ our Lord. Read John 3:16. That is what Christmas is about. As you celebrate this year and you feel the warm love in your heart for your family, remember that Jesus is that love you feel. Praise and thank the Lord every day; for it is by His grace that we are saved.
Merry Christmas! May the Lord Bless and Keep You!
Love In Christ,
Randall
For further study, read Luke 2 and John 3.