The True Meaning Of Christmas Series

Christmas! The very word brings joy to our hearts. If there is a single word that describes what Christmas is all about, it is a Hebrew word, “Emmanuel” found in the gospel of Matthew: It reads "Look, the virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means 'God is with us. In the manger, we find not only the Savior of the world but also the Creator of the universe, God with us—Immanuel. (Matthew 1:21-23)

The birth of Jesus was not random. Everything was planned meticulously from the beginning, from His birth all the way to His resurrection and ascension into heaven. God intended for people to turn to Him in repentance, and to experience forgiveness of sins through His son Jesus. He did what no man could have done – He left His home in heaven to come to earth and give His life for the redemption and restoration of the world. Jesus knew that He would eventually die on the cross, but He chose to come to this world as an infant anyway. The coming of the Lord Jesus has changed the world forever.

Jesus Christ was born in a tiny place called Bethlehem about two thousand and twenty years ago. His very birth divides all history. We count the year's BC and AD: Before Christ and Anno Domini: the year of the Lord. At Christmas, we are not only celebrating the Incarnation of the Lord Jesus. Christmas represents the manifestation of God’s love for us. Christmas celebrates the Savior and the sacrifice that He made so that mankind could have restored fellowship with God.

The heart of Christmas is beautifully described in the gospel of John. St. John rightly wrote, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life” (John 3:16). It has been called the gospel, in a nutshell, a summary of Scripture, and a blueprint for salvation. Luther called John 3:16 “The Gospel in Miniature.”

Christmas is a Celebration of God’s Love for us: The first thing we notice in the gospel of John 3:16 is the great scope of God’s love. “God so loved the world.” God doesn’t just love one set of people. He does not just love one particular nation or race. The scope of God’s love covers the whole world – every nation, tribe, language, and Community. God – in his great love -- sent the Son to save sinners. Jesus, the Son of God displayed God’s great love by dying for sinners. The Bible doesn’t say God has love; it says God is love. Love is his nature and God’s love extends to all people everywhere in the world. So, Christmas is for all people.

Secondly, John 3:16 teaches us the depth of God’s love. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son.” Jesus is not only God’s only Son, but he is uniquely God’s Son in a way that no other person can ever be. Bible says this about Jesus: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.” (John 1:1-2) Bible also says that Christ is the “only begotten Son” of God. What does that mean? It means that Jesus is the Second Person of the Trinity. He is God the Son. He is of the same essence as God the Father. He is begotten, but not created. He has always existed as God’s Son. He shares God’s very essence. He is God’s one and only Son. Jesus is not just a special person, He is God, who became man. In John 1:14 we read: “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Who is Jesus? Jesus Christ never wrote a book that we know of, yet the books that have been written about Him would fill the libraries of this world. He never painted a picture or carved a sculpture that we know of, yet He has been the inspiration behind the greatest art of the world. He never wrote a song that we know of, yet millions sing the many songs of Heaven based on Jesus. He never raised an army that we know of, but He has a great army of followers. Followers who are willing to die for Him, to live for Him, and to share His love. His travels were limited as far as we know, never traveling outside the land of Israel. Yet, around the world, the sun does not set on people who are worshipping the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He started with only a handful of followers, yet over 40% of the world population say they believe in Jesus Christ. He only taught for three years, yet for two thousand years, we are still studying every word that the Lord Jesus said. He had no formal education, but thousands of universities, colleges, schools, and Hospitals have been founded in His name. Kenneth Scott Latourette said: “Jesus has had more effect on the history of mankind than any other of its race who ever existed. To explain Jesus is impossible. To ignore Jesus is disastrous. To deny Him is fatal.”