Christmas Thoughts: The True Meaning of Christmas

Christmas is among the most important holidays for Christians and everyone else. During this holiday, there are so many activities, including sharing gifts, warm parties, decoration of homes, trips, etc. It is a joyous celebration that many of us look forward to every year.

If you took a poll today, many people could tell you the story of Christmas. However, they do not know the true significance of this holiday that we celebrate every December 25. Why do we celebrate Christmas? What does Christmas indeed mean?

The True Meaning of Christmas

Before we go ahead, we should let you know that Jesus Christ wasn’t born on December 25. As a result, some origins still consider this date questionable. However, we must look beyond the date to the true message and meaning of Christmas.

There are so many prophecies of the coming of the Messiah in the Old Testament. The Jews kept waiting for the King that would come to set them free from oppression and save man from sin. One profound prophecy was by the Prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 9, where he talks about an infant that will grow into a glorious king. This King would establish an everlasting kingdom of righteousness.

But do we celebrate the infant born in a manger during Christmas? That infant has since grown, gone to the cross, spent time in Hades, risen from the dead with all authority, and sits at the right hand of God. 

The coming of Jesus Christ fulfilled God’s promise to restore man from the fall in the Garden of Eden. As a result, Jesus Christ came to give us the gift of salvation as He became the perfect sacrificial lamb to atone for our sins. He lived for thirty-three and a half years, died, and overcame death to give us victory. All of this was to physically manifest the plan that God had in place before the foundations of the earth. 

Why we Celebrate Christmas Today

Jesus Christ was not compelled to come to earth and die. Instead, He chose to take our place on the cross. For this reason, we must lift our hands and bow our knees in appreciation of His magnanimous gesture. When one considers our Savior’s sacrifice, we will see more reasons to celebrate this season. 

The celebration is beyond the fanfare, parties, food, drinks, and gifts. We must not celebrate so much that we forget about the sacrifice of Jesus that is the reason for the season. Our duty is to give honor to whom honor is due and glorify the King of Glory like the shepherds that first received the news of his birth.

Jesus Christ might have been born in humble circumstances, but there’s no denying His royalty. He might have died a lowly death, but it is His death that bought us redemption. While we aren’t celebrating His death at Christmas, we rejoice because His birth was the seed that brought us redemption.

Some Bible Verses That Tell Us about the Essence of Christmas: Jesus’ Birth

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” – Isaiah 9:6

“This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the Prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.” – Matthew 1:18-25 

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” – John 1:14

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” – John 3:16

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” – James 1:17

Conclusion

Christmas is not just about the merriment. There’s a deeper meaning, and we have shared our view in this post. What’s yours? Kindly share what Christmas means to you in the comments section. Also, don’t forget to check out GodKulture for other articles about Christmas and the New Year.