Christmas: Why Celebrate?

Is this Christmas Day every year just an excuse for the gifts we give and receive, decorating the tree of our choice, a fictional Santa in the sky with reindeer flying, elves at shopping malls, eating far more goodies than our appetites can take, lighted outdoor snowpeople, angels, and now inflated toy soldiers and trains? Do we slow down enough to drink in the real meaning of the original Christmas Day?

Christmas means "Christ Mass," celebrating when Jesus Christ, Son of God, was born in a lowly stable with a virgin for his mother.  We call this "The Incarnation," God becomes 'flesh' or human.  We cannot imagine how much our Great God of the Universe loves us, to accomplish this!

The Birth of Jesus changed the course of history.  We plan our yearly calendars from the year of Jesus' birth 2014 years ago.  Our year, 2014, A.D. means "anno domini," year of the Lord.  "B.C." means before Christ.  During the last several years, atheists have started to use "B.C.E.," before common era, to try to counteract the unmistakable influence of Jesus.  Pitiful!

This Jesus' birth was the greatest event in human history! ALL other religions' founders claim that they were touched by God or an angel but no one else even claims to be the Son Of God - God himself!  And he was the only religious founder whose birth was predicted!  The Jewish nation waited thousands of years for the redeemer of the human race, for Jesus.  Some followed him.  Some did not.  We have the same choice.  What will we choose?

Go to church today or tomorrow and hear the Bible account of Jesus' birth, and/or read it for yourself in one of the Gospels. Know that Jesus came to die for our sins so we can be happy with him forever in heaven after our earthly death  Awesome!  Certainly we want to be grateful for this saving!

Lord Jesus, today I thank you for coming into this world for all of us!  I pray that all people will know about You and love You!  Most of all, I thank you for the profound blessing of the wonderful man in my life!  Help us both be touched again by hearing the account of your coming, and its meaning for the two of us together as we try to serve You!