Jun P. Espina 2 min read
Updated on February 9th, 2020
What is Christmas?
Christmas is about Christ; but right after His birth, people dethroned Him and removed Him away from His rightful place as Savior of the world. Songs composed during this season were about food, fun, and Christmas lights. Humanity’s rejection of Christ is best expressed this time of the year such as people’s efforts to reduce Christ’s birth to a Christless feast and holiday. Christians are attending Christmas parties just like the unbelievers, but their version of Christmas is a 7-Eleven—24/7 or a minute-by-minute “dinner with Christ” in the heart. It is the real meaning of Christmas, an endless thanksgiving that Jesus, our Lord and Savior, was born.
Christ’s Birth Represents Both God’s Salvation and Wrath
The Bible shows a dual effect of Christ’s birth on the soul. For the believers of Christ, for example, it would cause salvation; for the unbelievers, God’s wrath. Observe John 3:36: “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” In the so-called Christian countries, people love to call themselves Christians and believers. Surveys show however, that most of them are just professors of the faith or Christian sympathizers. Real believers saw Christ’s first coming as the birth of hope and the reason for eternal life. “’Behold,’ wrote Matthew, ‘the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ which translated means, ‘God with us.’” (Matt. 1:23) Christ is “God with us,” but the pseudo-Christians don’t have such trust on our Lord. To them, Christ is not God!
While Christ’s birth is Good News to the believers; it is hell news to the rejecters of our Lord. Hebrews 10:29 is God’s way of building the reason of His wrath toward the non-Christian Christmas observers. “How much severer punishment,” said God, “do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?” (Heb. 10:29) Celebrating Christmas without real faith in Jesus Christ is an insult to “the Spirit of grace,” the Spirit of free salvation by faith. (Eph. 2:8-9)
Wrote Prophet Isaiah: “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.” (Isa. 9:6-7) Yes, Jesus Christ is “Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.”
Christmas is about Christ who is God the Son. He is the Truth and the true Source of freedom. Without Christ, Christmas is just like a foundation anniversary or other worldly celebrations. With Christ, Christmas means the birth of our Savior. His birth is true; His first coming, true. If my trusting Christ for everything is the right path, then I say I have the truth—I have freedom from the fear of death and the unknown, for he who believes has eternal life.
“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life.” (John 6:47)
