“Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other Name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” -Acts 4:12
The message and meaning of Christmas is unique among all other celebrations and holidays. When you strip away the commercialism, revisionism and all the other “isms” connected to Christmas, it really comes down to being all about one mission and one Name.
In what has become known as the Greatest Story ever told, the Bible records the very reason why Jesus Christ came to earth. Having been born as a helpless babe, Jesus came to suffer a criminal’s death upon the Cross as a sacrifice for us in our place. So what is to be the message in all of this? Simply this…Christmas is the announcement to all of mankind that God became a human to dwell among us and, in doing so, He purchased forgiveness of our sins and entrance into heaven.
Christmas is the Gospel of God which means, in a plain sense, that He sent His Son as the Good News for us. Without hesitation and without apology, the Bible declares that the very centrality of the Scriptures is that Jesus willingly gave up His all for us.
“…He gave up His divine privileges;
He took the humble position of a slave
and was born as a human being.
When He appeared in human form,
He humbled Himself in obedience to God
and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
Therefore, God elevated Him to the place of highest honor
and gave Him the name above all other names,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord,to the glory of God the Father.” -Philippians 2:7-11 NLT
Because Christmas is the message of redemption for those who trust in Him, He gives new life. This new life is a Christ-centered life. It is real and transformational. The Bible says that we are dead because of our sinful nature, but Jesus came to offer us life and a new way to live. It’s been well-stated that, “Jesus didn’t come to make bad men good, He came to make dead men live.”
Receive God’s gift of Jesus Christ. Make Him your Lord and Savior by confessing your sin to Him so that He may gift you eternal life.
Pastor Jack