The True Meaning of Christmas
By-Crickettt
Luke 2:1-20-And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augusts, that all the world should be taxed. And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria. And all went to be taxed, everyone into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David) to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel of the Lord said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born in the city of David a savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; you shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of heavenly host praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, let us go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord has made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which were told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told to them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, as it was told them.
The story of the birth of Jesus Christ contains a much deeper meaning than just a baby being born. Jesus was with God in heaven from the very beginning. He became God in flesh. He willingly left His glorious home to come to earth in the form of a man to walk with us and teach us one-on-one, about the great love that God has for us. God loved us so much that he allowed His only Son to come to this earth and be born, suffer greatly and then die a most horrible death. Yet, all the while, His perfect plan to defeat sin permanently was provided through the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Because of this plan, you and I have the opportunity to receive this free gift of eternal life by accepting Jesus into our hearts. For Jesus was born the Savior of the World.
Let us take a look at exactly what the birth of Jesus means. First of all, the birth of Jesus was a miracle in itself. God chose a virgin named Mary who loved and worshiped God with all her heart. By the power of His Holy Spirit, He placed within her womb the seed from which His precious Son would be born. Joseph, who was a simple carpenter by trade, was chosen by God because Jesus would be born into a home of lower-class income and many people could relate to Him. Although Mary and Joseph were not wealthy, their love and trust in God enabled them to give Jesus a home based on faith. Mary and Joseph loved God and therefore, they taught Jesus how to worship and took Him to the temple on a regular basis. You may be thinking, "I don't get it, if Jesus was God in the flesh, why would they have to teach Jesus anything?" Jesus had to become as you and I. He had to grow up, learn and grow in God too. Jesus was disciplined and taught in the Word of God just as we are supposed to be. He learned to obey and hear God's voice as God spoke to Him. Mary and Joseph nurtured Jesus in His young age and allowed Him to grow in the Lord.
When the angel appeared to Mary to tell her the good news, she was very much afraid at first. A supernatural peace and reassurance came over Mary and she knew in her spirit that what the angel said was so. Mary also had a choice to either receive the words from the angel or to reject them. Because of her relationship with God already, Mary believed that with God all things are possible and said, "Behold, the handmaid of the Lord, be it unto me according to thy word." When Mary said those words, she was giving God permission to use her body as a vessel of the Lord. Mary agreed to go through with the pregnancy knowing she would become an outcast to her people and a humiliation for her family. At first, Joseph was very devastated with the news and thought Mary had deceived him and had been with another man. He was very hesitant to take Mary as his wife. They were already engaged to be married but, Joseph felt Mary had betrayed him. He became very troubled, not knowing what to do. That night, an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and told him to not be afraid to take Mary as his wife because that which was conceived within her was of God. Joseph knew they would stone Mary to death if he made her pregnancy public and refused to marry her. He decided to put his faith in God and trust Him to help them through it. God planned Mary's pregnancy in a perfect time during which the decree was made that all the world would be taxed. It was during that time Joseph would have to travel with Mary to Bethlehem where Jesus would be born. This would also fulfill the prophecies spoken of in the book of Isaiah about His birth and He would be from the lineage of David. There would be crowds of people everywhere and the inns would all be filled. Instead of being born in a comfortable atmosphere, Jesus was born in the least likely place of all, a stable where the animals were kept. It was a very long journey to Bethlehem and Mary was near her time of giving birth. She had to travel by donkey to the place God had picked for Jesus' birth. Bethlehem was chosen as the birth place because it was the smallest city and least thought of town in which a "King" would be born and also fulfilled the prophecy in Isaiah. Joseph placed fresh hay down as a bed for Mary and hay in a feeding trough as a manger to lay baby Jesus in. Who would have ever thought that the Son of God would be born in a stable? This shows how much Jesus humbled himself before God. After His birth, instead of a royal robe, Jesus was covered with swaddling bands (shepherds clothing) and placed in a manger that Joseph had prepared to keep Him warm. The way in which Jesus was born and the surroundings, enabled even the lowest of people to relate to him and allowed them to believe in who He was. A shepherd was considered the lowest form of occupation and yet, they were the ones chosen to be the first to hear of the good news of the birth of Jesus. Instead of royal servants at His birth, Jesus was surrounded by animals. This reminds me of a scripture that Jesus spoke saying, "But many that are first shall be last; and the last first." Jesus wants us to know and understand that we must first be willing to be a servant to others. To be humble in spirit is to give God honor. Along with being humble, we are to remember our place as God's children and keep the armor of God on at all times. Always ready to stand against the evil forces that will try to come against us. The Bible says we are not weak but strong in the power of the Lord and able to conquer the devil.
The shepherds came to see Jesus and to worship Him. They had heard for years the stories passed down upon generations about a savior who would come and free them from sin and bondage. What an awesome sight it must have been for them to be on that hillside watching their sheep and while looking into the starry sky, a host of angels appear before them singing of the good news. The sky around them was suddenly lit up very brightly because the Bible says, "the Glory (brightness of God) shown around them and they were sore afraid". God is not partial to people. The Bible says, what He will do for one, He will do for all. It just takes faith! He is the same God who watches over all, whether rich or poor. God will use whoever is willing to complete His perfect plan. No one is excluded in being used by God unless he totally refuses God. This is clearly seen by the shepherds’ angelic visitation. Wise men from the East also followed an unusual bright star that led them to the small town of Bethlehem and they brought Jesus very expensive gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. These gifts actually symbolized the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus which would be fulfilled when he was 33 years of age. God provided to Mary and Joseph what they would need as provision for their new Holy child.
Jesus was God's perfect plan to totally cleanse man from sin and provide the way for eternal life. Jesus was the Lamb sacrificed for you and I so that we could be forgiven and be able to stand in the presence of God without spot or blemish. When God sees us, He looks at us through the shed blood of His Son, therefore, we are no longer separated from God as being His child.
What a thrill for all those who looked upon that baby's innocent face, not realizing or fully grasping the true meaning or importance of His birth and what He stood for. Better yet, what would it have been like to be in Mary's shoes and each time she bent to kiss her little baby, she literally kissed the Face of God! Jesus was without sin, He was the example of Perfect Love for all the world to see. Jesus tasted the agony of a very slow and painful death for us. We celebrate not only His Birthday but, we celebrate His Life; knowing He will once again return to reclaim those who have received Him as their Lord and Savior. When you remember Jesus this Christmas, don't just remember Him as that tiny baby born once upon a time, instead, remember that He is Alive and with Him there is no death. He has the key to eternal life, and He conquered death, hell and the grave once and for all just for you. Let us instead celebrate the Victory that we have in Jesus Christ and thank Him for the gift He has freely given to us if we will only believe and receive.
The people found Jesus when they went searching for Him. I urge you today, seek Jesus so that you may receive eternal life which comes in accepting Him into your heart. That will truly be the Greatest Gift of All. May God's Spirit of Love continue to be with you and direct your paths always. And I wish for you and all yours, A Very Merry Christmas, Peace, and Joy through Jesus Christ our Lord. ~Crickettt~
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