WHY CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS

On December 20, five days before Christmas I was in the supermarket viewing the Christmas candy, and halfway down the aisle, there was a change in the candy display. To my amazement, the second half of the aisle was filled with Valentine candy. The store owners did not give the consumers a chance to finish celebrating Christmas before they started selling the same candy in a different holiday wrapper. I just shook my head and walked away for I realized the store owners are only concerned about making money and we the consumers are not given a chance to enjoy and honor one event before we are thrust into the next one.

On this year Christmas Day happens to fall on a Sunday, and many people will be involved in family activities that will probably prevent them from attending a church service, and many will forget the real reason for the season. The reason was not to spend monies on candies and gifts. The reason was not to get together with family and friend, but the reason that is often forgotten was the good news of the birth of a Savior, which was Christ the Lord. It is important that we believers remember this in the midst of all that we do.

God sent His son Jesus to earth via a virgin birth to redeem mankind back to Him. This was necessary because of the rebellion of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden which caused men to lose their place of dominion. Through the ages, man was held captive to sin and continued in his disobedience to God’s instructions. The man had a problem, and Jesus was God’s solution.

Jesus spent thirty-three years on this earth with His last three years involved in ministry. He preached, He healed, He delivered, He taught, He mingled with everyone, and He was an example of servanthood for all. His assignment was accomplished with his birth, death, burial, and resurrection.

If Jesus did not come to earth, we would yet be lost but praise God for His love and plan of salvation. That is why we Christians, celebrate Christmas and in the midst of all our festivities I pray we remember to take time to thank God for the greatest gift, His son Jesus.