The Meaning of Christmas

What does Christmas mean? I mean really mean? As Christians we know that at Christmas we are celebrating the birth of Jesus our Messiah who came to save His people from their sins. It is a time of joy as we often gather with family to remember the gift of salvation He gave by laying down His life as we exchange gifts with one another. It is often a nostalgic time as we remember with fondness Christmas’ long past. 

Oh but there is so much more to Christmas than simply remembering, gathering, and nostalgic moments. Christmas loudly bears witness to so much more. Psalm 145:13 tells us that God is faithful in all His words and kind in all His works and Christmas is a testimony to the truth of these words!   

Behind the celebration of what we call Christmas stands thousands of years of waiting and longing on the part of believers who trusted by faith the promise that God would send an offspring that would right all that went wrong in the world. Behind Christmas are thousands of years of waiting based solely on the Word of God with very little evidence that God was acting to bring about His promise.

For thousands of years, His Word came repeatedly to people in the midst of barrenness, suffering, wilderness, exile, oppression, grief, sorrow and promised them an offspring that would crush the serpents head. He promised a Prophet, Priest and King who would proclaim, intercede and rule them with truth, mercy and justice. He promised  a Shepherd who would come to feed and care for His sheep, a Deliverer who would free them from suffering and oppression, a Redeemer and Savior who would set them free from the burden of their sins. All of this was anticipated for millennia by people who by faith believed based on God’s Word and on the character of the God who had promised.

And Christmas testifies to us today that their faith was not in vain. For at just the right time God sent forth His Son just as He said He would! Jesus the Messiah is indeed the Offspring promised in Genesis 3:15. He is the Prophet, Priest, King, Shepherd, Delivered, Redeemer and Savior that was anticipated throughout Scripture. 

Christmas proclaims that God always keeps His promises and that He is gracious in all He does. Christmas reminds us that when God says through His Word: “Behold, I am coming soon” we can rest in confidence and hope that His Word is trustworthy and true. In the midst of our suffering and sorrow, in the midst of our barrenness and wilderness, in the midst of our trials of affliction, we can trust God’s Word and God’s promises because we can trust God’s character. He was faithful in coming the first time and He will be faithful in coming again...just as He promised He would.

So this year regardless of the circumstances happening in our world or where you are in life, whether you are in a season of joy and happiness or a season of suffering and affliction, let us celebrate Christmas and join with the multitude of people throughout the ages who trusted God’s Word and longed for the coming of their Messiah! Let us continue to lift our eyes to the good and faithful character of our God as we put our trust in His Word. Come quickly Lord Jesus. Amen.