Christmas – Celebrating Without The Celebrant
by Pastor Vincent Imwensi
How would you like it to be your birthday and people gather to celebrate it but decide not to allow you into the party? You are locked out and in fact the mere mention of your name, offend some of the celebrants – how would you like that?
Sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it? But that is how a lot of people treat the One whose birth they celebrate during Christmas!
Do you realise that Christmas is actually somebody’s birthday? Yes, it is Jesus Christ’s birthday. Christmas is actually named after Him. Take “Christ” away from “CHRISTmas” and you will see that what is left (“mas”) doesn’t make sense.
Subtle Denials
Yet if you look around, you will see the many subtle ways in which so many people are seeking to take Christ out of Christmas.
For instance, in the United States of America, this season used to be the Christmas season but now that has been changed to the holiday season and the greeting is now “happy holidays” instead of “merry Christmas”.
Why? Because “Christmas” reminds people of Christ and refers to Him (which may offend some people) but “holiday” takes people’s minds away from Him to something totally different. And yet, Christ is the reason for the season.
Maybe it is not politically correct to say “merry Christmas” in nation whose motto is “In God We Trust”. Oh well, who knows, maybe it is not the God of the bible they are referring to after all. To my own mind, this is a crying shame and it is unfortunate.
Even here in London (United Kingdom), you can see the same subtle denial going on in different ways. There used to be Christmas music and songs in the air everywhere you go during the Christmas season. But now it has turned to “silent Christmas”.
Go to the shops, you will see people, busy as bees, buying all sorts for Christmas but not a single word is being said about the One who is the reason for Christmas – Christmas songs are no more.
In fact, in many shops and super malls, you don’t even see Christmas greetings anywhere!
And yet someone said to me not long ago that the United Kingdom is a “Christian nation”. Hahaha …. really?
The Date Argument
Of course there are people who take great pains and go to great lengths to try to prove that Jesus Christ was not born on the 25th of December. They may or may not be right but that is not the point.
What we celebrate is the very fact that He was born into this world and somehow, the 25th of December has become the preferred day in which birth is celebrated all over the world.
We are familiar with a situation where somebody’s birthday may be on a Monday but he may not celebrate it until the following Saturday. Is it therefore less of a birthday because he did not mark it on Monday? Of course not.
Therefore Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. He is the reason for the season.
Jesus Christ – The Gift Of God’s Love
Who is this Jesus Christ and why does the whole world stop to mark His birthday?
The Bible provides clear answers to this question:
“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord” – Luke 2:11
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” John 3:16
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” John 14:6
“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” Acts 4:12
Jesus Christ is God’s gift of love to a lost and suffering humanity. In Him is our salvation, peace, forgiveness, freedom from sin and it’s consequences, divine favour and the hope of everlasting life. Without Him, we are lost in sin and without hope for all eternity.
He is the greatest gift ever known to man. Haven’t you noticed that during Christmas people give gifts (or presents)? It is because Christmas is about the gift of God – the gift of His love to us in the person of Jesus Christ, the Saviour.
But for any gift offered to you to become yours, you have to receive or accept it. In the same way, to realise the benefit of the greatest gift of Christmas (Jesus Christ), you have to receive Him as your personal Saviour and Lord by a simple act of faith.
Let Him In And Celebrate This Christmas With The Celebrant
So as you prepare for this Christmas, here is a key question: are you going to be celebrating with the Celebrant or without the Celebrant?
He says in His word “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me” – Rev.3:20
Here, He is talking about the door of your heart. Will you open to Him today? If you would like to do that, here is a simple prayer to help you:
All Mighty God, I thank you for the gift of your love – Jesus Christ. Today, I open the door of my heart and invite Jesus Christ into my heart to be my Saviour and Lord.
I repent of my sins and ask you to please forgive me. By faith, I welcome Jesus Christ into my life right now and I receive the gift of eternal life, in Jesus’ name, amen.
If you prayed the above prayer committing your life to Christ, I say congratulations. Now you will see the difference it makes when you celebrate Christmas with the Celebrant – Jesus Christ, our Saviour.
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