Welcome to Friday News. Every Friday I share news with you; primarily about writing and sometimes about life in general. This week it is about: What’s the Real Meaning of Christmas?
Today I’m writing about the real meaning of Christmas. I’m thankful that more and more people are forgetting about ‘Happy Holidays’ and turning back to ‘Merry Christmas’. But how many of us know the real meaning and are willing to live it?
The real meaning of Christmas is not to go shopping for Christmas gifts although millions of people have already started shopping. No matter how costly the gift, Christmas means more.
Nor is Christmas all about a beautiful manger scene. It is not about the Baby although He is certainly a major part.
Christmas is not even about loving one another, although we certainly need more of that! Nor is it about a Christmas tree decorated with lights and all the trimmings. All the things I’ve mentioned delight our eyes and excite our children. But Christmas is so much more!
The real meaning of Christmas is found in the Book of John, chapter 3:
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
Verses 16 through 18 express this truth. It is about God sending His Son to take our place because of our sin. Jesus loves us so much that He voluntarily was born into our world as a little Babe (a very humbling experience) with the express purpose of shedding His blood on a cross for you and me!
All He asks in return is our love for Him. If we love Him our lives will be lived differently. If we love Him, we will love one another. If we love Him, we will gladly serve Him. But if we reject Him the gift of life is not given to us, but we are condemned.
Because of His love for us the cruel cross was transformed from an instrument of torture and cruelty to a trinket that many women wear around their necks. It is good to see women wearing the cross, it is better if they love the One who shed His blood for her on the cross.
As this Christmas season starts, we need to love the God who gave His Son who died for us!
Imagine if you will the manger with the newborn Babe in it. The star of Bethlehem shines overhead and causes a shadow of a cross to rest across the manger and the Babe. That is a picture of the true meaning of Christmas.
As Christmas approaches we need to focus on the meaning rather that the outward appearances. The tree itself is pagan in nature and is used only for the purpose of celebration of what Christ did. December 25th is not the day He was born into this world, it only represents that birth. All the outward things are only meant to be in worship of him.
Wouldn’t it be nice if the world turned to Him in true adoration? It would, but it is unlikely. Saved and unsaved alike live in sinful flesh; we do what we want and don’t think of him until there’s an emergency.
The world claims they are the children of God but God only claims them as the creation of God. When a person gets saved, he or she becomes a child of God and their sins are forgiven, but they still have a sin nature. We won’t lose the sin nature until we are in heaven, but if we love God more in the here and now, He can do so much more with us.
Love God and celebrate why He came!
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R Frederick Riddle is the Editor of TR Writing Services providing help to struggling and/or new authors to write and publish their books. In addition, he is the author of several books and is best known for Christian Historical and Speculative Fiction. For more information on him or his books visit his Amazon Authors Page. He is also co-founder and Vice President of T&R Independent Books where his books are featured. To reply to any blog you have the option of commenting on a blog and/or sending an email to marketing@tr-indbkstore.com. You may also be interested in his Facebook page at RFrederickRiddlesWorld.