His birth was God’s gift of love to mankind¹.  His death was love at its utmost, a sacrifice for our sins.  A great mysterious transaction occurred when Jesus Christ died at the cross.  His life got exchanged for our sins, thus satisfying God’s penalty for sin: death².

One of the compelling arguments against Christianity has been the perceived unfairness of having the whole world suffer for one man’s sin, as depicted in the story of Adam and Eve. Our first parent messed up, so why do we have to pay for his mistakes?  With the birth and death of Jesus Christ, God has successfully countered that argument.  For if by one man (Adam), sin entered the world, it would only be fair that by another man (the God-man Jesus Christ) that sin be conquered and eventually removed from this world³.

Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, signaling hope for a lost world.  It is at once also a celebration of His example, resurrection and return.  His birth was a demonstration of God’s love in flesh and blood.  When He walked this earth, Jesus Christ reached out to the poor, the sick, the destitute and the hopeless.  He restored people on the right path to a life of abundance. His life was indeed love in action for He never turned away anyone that sought Him out.

Jesus Christ was indeed God in flesh⁴.  Since God is love, it stands to reason that in His First Coming, Jesus would help us experience God’s love in human relationships⁵.  He showed us the way to live with our fellow human beings, without the influence of sin but full of love.  He exemplified the ideal life as God designed it.

With Jesus Christ you did not see the acts of the sinful nature: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, wrathful outbursts, selfish ambitions, and similar ills⁶.

What you saw with Jesus Christ were the signs of a life led by the Spirit of God: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control⁷. ⁸ Jesus Christ healed the sick, gave food to the poor and cast out demons from those oppressed by evil. With encouraging words, he gave comfort to those buffeted by the pressures of a hard life. He pointed people to a life free from sin.

As we enjoy Christmas, we need to remember that it symbolizes the victory of man over sin through Jesus Christ.  Though that victory will not be realized fully until His Second Coming, we can still rejoice.  We have deposits of that victory in the lives of those who now embrace Jesus Christ and stand up successfully against evil.  Those He redeems will eventually have a life free of deaths, diseases and troubles.  This is the gift of Jesus Christ, the gift of love that is celebrated at Christmas.

My dear brothers and sisters, take a moment during this Christmas to reflect on this gift. It is the most precious gift you will ever receive.  It is the gift of life, yes life eternal.  The problems you face today come from sin.  God’s cure for sin is Jesus Christ.  To get that cure, you need to embrace Him, His message and His way of life, which is the path of true love, sacrificial love⁹.

When Jesus Christ was asked which of God’s commandments to mankind was the most important, He gave two answers that were interrelated. Love God and love your neighbor¹⁰.  Everything about Christianity stands on these core commandments.  Don’t let anyone fool you!  The message of the gospel is very clear: you cannot claim to love God when you don’t love your neighbor¹¹.  And you cannot claim to love God if you don’t obey God (this is critical because disobedience is how sin came to mankind through our first parent)¹². ¹³

One of the biggest distractions for those who are genuinely seeking God has been ‘Christians’ who claim to follow God/Jesus and don’t demonstrate His love.  They are abusive to other people and commit atrocities that may even give pause to some unbelievers.  All that glitters isn’t gold!

Not everything done in the name of Jesus Christ is from God—many are subterfuge by false believers and demon worshippers¹⁴.  It is not uncommon to see preachers selling their conscience for money. You also see congregations in churches playing cat and mouse with each other.  Multitudes continue to suffer all around while many ‘Christians’ turn a blind eye.  This is not the way of love, the way of Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ gave of Himself to help others, even giving up His life.  Every moment He walked the earth, He devoted to loving people, helping people. He still does that today in His resurrected state. Thankfully there are many true believers today who live the life of love, the life of giving as demonstrated by Jesus Christ.

Love is at the core of the Christian message and the essence of Christmas.  That love is centered in sacrificial giving as embodied in the words and actions of Jesus Christ. The great absence of that giving spirit is what plagues mankind today.  At Christmas, please take time to reflect on how much of that Spirit is reflected in your life today.  If you are a Christian, and find yourself lacking in the spirit of giving, then ask for God’s help and forgiveness to mend your heart.

If you are not a Christian, then please consider how you can make your peace with God. And it is easy—with a sincere heart, you can call on the Lord to save you and He will answer¹⁵.  He is waiting to redeem you from the clutches of sin.  Do please take advantage of God’s cure for all your troubles, literally!  It’s an all-expense paid cure!  Jesus Christ paid the price with His life.

This is how God values you, loves you so much that He would offer the life of His son for you¹⁶.  Don’t let anyone convince you otherwise: you are important to God! He loves you! Through Jesus Christ you can escape the consequences of sin and live for ever!  This is God’s gift of love to you and me.  It is in this gift that you will find the true meaning of Christmas.

(fredlintaz@yahoo.com)

PS:  For those interested in deeper study, Biblical references are provided below:

Robot  Villager

# 1 The True Meaning of Christmas by Fred Igbeare His birth...Read the full article. Posted by Robot| 25.12.2006 05:55