Merry Christmas!! Can you believe the year is officially coming to a close? Gosh! I remember saying Happy New year to friends and family like it was yesterday, and I remember cuddling up on Christmas morning at my aunt’s house in 2017, with my cousin cooking up a storm, it was fun. Now we are here again, celebrating love, laughter, joy, faith, family, and hopefully the real reason, Jesus.
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Before Jesus ever walked this planet as a man, prophecies of old, told of His arrival: The Messiah, who would save humanity from all the hurt and pain. People needed hope; the world was plagued with idol worship. Mediums and sorcerers filled the earth. With people consulting them of what their future holds, and wanting to speak with the dead (believe me guys, there is nothing new under the sun). None of these practices were fulfilling, none of them could heal, none of them could provide, none of them could raise the dead, and none of them had promise, of eternal life.
And for the elect (the darling Jews, as I like to refer to them), God’s law had been passed down to them for generations, practices that their great-grandparents were accustomed to. People had to make sacrifices yearly for their sins. Imagine today, as a Christian, each time you sin, you have to go to your high priest, and sacrifice an animal without blemish. That was some tedious practice. The judgments back then were also brutal (for lack of a better word). People were stoned to death for adultery and if you were caught having sex outside of marriage. It was an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth era.
You can also imagine the fear and dread that gripped a generation of people, who wondered if this was the only way to draw closer to God. But He had a plan; a plan that would take care of all our mess once and for all, Jesus. Jesus birth is the best thing that ever happened to humanity, hope crept into the world where there was no hope, peace came in when there was serious unrest, and Joy, oh what incredible joy, which filled the earth when his birth was announced.
“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.” Luke 2:10-11
No wonder people were mesmerized with him, no wonder the followers he has, can be nothing compared to anything we can find on social media. The most influential person, who ever lived and is still living, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Christians are multiplying every day, because of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It brings hope to a hopeless world, and peace to a world that is filled with so much chaos. I was just thinking about it the other day, that there is no other holiday, which the entire planet (maybe New Year) recognizes, even if some are not Christians. Everyone has an idea that it is because of the birth of Jesus, that we have what we now call Christmas.
It is not about the ‘holidays’ chestnuts roasting, reindeers and Santa Clause. Those have just come with time and have tried to steal His spotlight. It is about Jesus, coming to redeem humanity, and reconcile us back to God. So we can no longer be bound by laws, and sacrifices that don’t satisfy. Now we can have a genuine relationship with God, and it is no longer for the Jews alone, the whole world is invited to this giant party.
If you are not a Christian today, what are you waiting for? God offers you hope, joy, peace, victory, power, wisdom, talents, salvation, eternal life, and the list is endless. You cannot find this kind of deal, anywhere else. So as we gather together with family and friends, let us have it at the back of our minds, the real reason, for the season (Jesus). Merry Christmas everyone!!
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