Celebrating the real Christmas

Details: Published: Friday, 01 December 2017 09:18; Written by James Dean

Getting rid of Christmas

A recent poll on the Money Saving Expert website suggested that most people would prefer to not have Christmas at all. Of those who responded, the only majority group who wanted to keep it were parents who had young children.

Each year it seems obvious that people are spending more on presents, eating more food and drinking more alcohol than ever before, and yet each year the real meaning of Christmas appears to be more obscured. It's perhaps no wonder that people no longer want to "buy into" this festival. It has lost its meaning.

At Christmas we have a unique opportunity to speak about Jesus. That is a door that is often not open to us at other times of the year. So when we talk with our friends and with our families, let's be clear about what Christmas really is... and while we're at it let's remind ourselves too.

What is Christmas?

Christmas is the reality of God with us - the second person of the trinity, God himself, was born as a human baby. That should excite and encourage us. When we're asked, "Why God doesn't get involved in world events?" we can point to the fact that he did; he got involved personally. But of course, while the nativity plays might end the story with baby Jesus still in the manger he didn't stay there! Take time to consider what else Jesus did in his life, the incredible things he said and claimed and then the miracles he performed. All these lead us to the conclusion that Jesus is God.

Why do we need Christmas?

Christmas is about a rescue, a rescue that was planned before the beginning of time. Its about a saviour who was promised to Adam & Eve, the same saviour that is promised to followers of God throughout the Old Testament.

In Ephesians chapter 2, the Bible describes us as being dead in our sins. It may sound harsh, but death is the penalty for our rejection of God. We share in the sin of Adam & Eve and that sin has caused a division between ourselves and God. The beautiful relationship that Adam & Eve enjoyed with God was destroyed when they chose to disobey him and go their own way.

Think for a moment about the sin that you've committed, about the guilt that you feel for that sin. You can try to ignore it, you can pretend it doesn't matter, but the truth is there is no way you can get rid of it yourself. Only Jesus can do that.

But wait, there's much more to this story. That same chapter goes on to say that God, being rich in mercy and love, made us alive together with Christ, by grace. This grace is great news for us sinners!

God is completely holy, and to live in his presence we need to be holy too. There is no way that following all God's laws could make us right with God. So God did it for us; Jesus lived a perfect life on our behalf.

Having lived a perfect life, Jesus would go on to die a perfect death, sacrificing himself and dying in our place. If we truly believe this, God takes the punishment that we rightly deserve and places it on Jesus. Instead of feeling the force of God's justice, we are given the gift of God's grace - the ultimate Christmas present.

What is the real Christmas?

So the real Christmas speaks of God's mercy, his forgiveness, his grace and his love. It speaks of God reaching down into the darkness of this world and bringing his light. Christmas speaks of a joy and a peace that can only be found when people come to meet and know Jesus for themselves.

This is the real Christmas; the true story of God stepping into the world and giving his life so that we can know forgiveness and receive the free gift of grace.

HOW DO I RESPOND TO CHRISTMAS?

If you're reading this and you're not a Christian, your response to Christmas must be to ask God for forgiveness. If you have realised that you need a saviour, you need to say sorry to God for your sin and believe that Jesus died for you. Pray now, just cry out loud to him or just in the quietness of your mind - he will hear you and he will answer your prayer and give you what your heart needs: forgiveness, peace with him and joy that will last forever.

If you're already a Christian and are reading this I hope your heart has been warmed as you've been reminded of what your salvation cost God and how much he loves you. I hope too that you've been encouraged to share this wonderful good news with others this Christmas time. We rejoice at the new life God has given us and we often sing songs in response to thank God for what he has done for us. Let me share one with you that does just that. It's called "His mercy is more". The video is linked below, you can sing along... go on, turn up the volume!

HIS MERCY IS MORE

(Verse 1)
What love could remember no wrongs we have done
Omniscient, all knowing, He counts not their sum
Thrown into a sea without bottom or shore
Our sins they are many, His mercy is more.

(Chorus)
Praise the Lord, His mercy is more
Stronger than darkness, new every morn
Our sins they are many, His mercy is more.

(Verse 2)
What patience would wait as we constantly roam
What Father, so tender, is calling us home
He welcomes the weakest, the vilest, the poor
Our sins they are many, His mercy is more.

(Verse 3)
What riches of kindness he lavished on us
His blood was the payment, His life was the cost
We stood 'neath a debt we could never afford
Our sins they are many, His mercy is more.