What Is Christmas?

With the Christmas season upon us, we as the Church need to spread the word that Christmas is the time of year where we celebrate the birth of the Messiah. Many people in the world today argue that Jesus wasn't really born on December 25th and that we are foolish to say that He was. First of all, we don't claim that whatsoever. Second, we have chosen this day as the day to recognize the birth of our Lord and Savior. Period! It astounds me how "politically correct" everyone is so determined to be. Why be "politically correct" when you can be right? A little girl stood in a long line in the mall to sit on Santa's knee. She asked Santa, "Are you a politician"? He said, "No. Why do you ask"? She said, "Because you always promise a lot more than you deliver".

The Christmas story is the story of the virgin birth. Let's look at Luke 1:26-35. "In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a Son, and you are to call Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, 33 and He will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; His kingdom will never end.” “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So, the Holy One to be born will be called the Son of God."

Father, thank you for your word. Thank you for its truth and its power. We receive it now to validate the greatest treasure, the virgin birth. And all of God's children said, amen.

The Christmas story is a story of spiritual warfare. The Bible says in 1 John 3:8, "For this cause came Christ into the world to destroy the works of the devil". The battle that began in Genesis where Satan had revolted against God's authority, Satan was kicked out with one-third of the angels and the earth was in the domain that belonged to him. When Satan promised Jesus that if He would bow down and worship him that he would give Him all of these kingdoms, he had that power.

So, we have now a collision of the prince of darkness and the prince of light. That baby in a manger was God's invasion of planet earth to set us free from the prince of darkness. He is Emmanuel, meaning He is God with us. He is the incarnate Word. For the Word of God says in John 1:1&14, "In the beginning was the Word" and "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us". He is the bright and the morning star. Wise men still pursue Him to discover the truth of life. He is our Savior. He is our healer. He is our baptizer. He is our deliverer. His Name shall be called wonderful, counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace.

Christmas is the story of redemption, because the angel said in Matthew 1:21, "They shall call His Name Jesus: for He shall save His people from their sin". If that's the only concept the world would grasp of the birth of Christ, it would be revolutionary. Without Jesus Christ, there is no reason to have Christmas. He's the only reason for the season! The first time Jesus Christ came, He was a baby in a manger. The next time He comes, He's going to be the King of kings and the Lord of lords. The next time He comes, kings, queens, presidents, prime ministers are going to bow before Him: for every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father!

Some say that Jesus was just a good teacher. That's wrong. Good teachers don't run around claiming to be God. Some say Jesus was merely a good example. Good examples do not mingle with prostitutes and sinners. Some same Jesus was a crazed fanatic. But fanatics do not attract men of intellect like Luke the physician or Paul, who on the road to Damascus said, "Who are you, Lord"? And "What will you have me to do"? Some say that Jesus was a religious phony. But phonies don't rise from the grave on the third day just like they said they will. He was seen by 533 different people in 13 different New Testament appearances. He is the resurrected Son of God. There is no delusion here at all. Some say that Jesus was a myth. Myths cannot give their flesh and blood to be crucified. To the weary, He is wonderful. To the confused, He is the mighty counselor. To the weak, He is the mighty God. To the orphaned, He is the everlasting father. To the troubled, He is the Prince of Peace.