Christmas Devotion
The
Real Meaning Of Christmas
By
Martha Noebel
It's that time of year again. December has come and with it all the joys
of Christmas. But what is the real meaning of Christmas? Is it the gifts under
the tree, the lights in the windows, the cards in the mail, turkey dinners with
family and friends, snow in the yard, stockings hanging in the living room, and
shouts of "Merry Christmas" to those who pass us in the streets? Is
this really Christmas?
For many people, Christmas is a time of sorrow. They
don't have the extra money to buy presents for their children, family, and friends.
Many are saddened at Christmastime when they think of their loved ones who will
not be able to come home for various reasons. Turkey dinners may be only a wish
and not a reality for some.
Yet, Christmas can be a season of great joy.
It is a time of God showing His great love for us. It can be a time of healing
and renewed strength. You see, Christmas is when we celebrate the birth of the
Christ child. God sent His Son, Jesus, into the world to be born. His birth brought
great joy to the world. Shepherds, wise men, and angels all shared in the excitement
of knowing about this great event. They knew this was no ordinary baby. The prophets
had told of His coming hundreds of years before. The star stopped over Bethlehem
just to mark the way for those who were looking for this special child.
Luke 2: 4-19 says:
"So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in
Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house
and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be
married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came
for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped
him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in
the inn.
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby,
keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them,
and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the
angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy
that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been
born to you; he is Christ the Lord.
This will be a sign to you:
You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." Suddenly a
great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his
favor rests."
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven,
the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing
that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." So they hurried off
and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they
had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this
child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But
Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart."
Why
did He come? Why did God send His son to this sometimes cruel and hard world?
He sent Jesus to us so that one day, He would grow up to become a very important
part of history. His story (history) is one of truth, love, and hope. It brought
salvation to all of us. Without Jesus, we would all die in our sins. Jesus
was born so one day the price could be paid for the things we have done that are
wrong. The Bible says that all have sinned. We are all born with a sin nature.
We do things that do not please God. Through the sins of Adam and Eve, we have
all inherited that sin nature. We need to have that removed. The only way is through
Jesus. Jesus came so He could die on the cross for ALL of our sins. If we believe
that Jesus died for our sins, we can ask Him to come into our hearts and forgive
us. Then, we are clean and made whole. We can know that heaven is a place where
we can go to when this life is over.
"But if we confess
our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from
every wrong." I John 1:9
We can truly be happy at Christmas! No
matter what may be happening, we can know that we are His children. We then become
sons and daughters of God. Heaven will be our home one day. Look at Christmas
in a new way this year. This is the year to invite Jesus into your heart. You
will then have a "Merry Christmas." The joy and peace you will receive
will last all year as you look to God for all your needs to be met. Jesus Is The Reason For The Season! Rejoice!
Related Links:
Browse through CBN.com's Christmas Resource
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