Mensa Otabil - Worship Christ, the Newborn King
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Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas to each one of us and each one of you. It’s been a joyful ride; just trust in the Lord this year, working with Him, walking with Him, and knowing Him. I trust that the times we’ve had sharing the Word of God have been beneficial to you as we have discovered the Scriptures together. I wish you and your loved ones the joy of the season.
Matthew chapter 2, verse 11: «And when they had come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary, his mother, and fell down and worshipped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.»
So today, on this Christmas Day, I just want to share briefly with you about the significance of this day to each one of us. For many of us, Christmas is a time of fond memories. If you are an older person, you remember your childhood and you probably recall your parents and your siblings sitting together, having joy, sharing a meal, and visiting our relatives. In our part of the world, in Ghana, and I think in most of West Africa, Christmas is very public. In the Western world, it’s very private; people gather in very small numbers. In our world, we gather in large numbers, having big family gatherings with extended family members.
I remember my childhood when we would build a Christmas home and bring food from our homes to share with friends in the neighborhood. We would sit around, make music, and enjoy fireworks. We thank God for those memories. However, we must also remember that amidst all those fond memories, there is a serious thing happening: God has sent His Son. God has become flesh to live among us, and His name, Emmanuel, means God is with us. It is very possible to celebrate Christmas, enjoy the festivities, and still forget the center of the story: that God so loved the world that He gave His Son to us.
This Christmas Day, as you contemplate the joy of the season and wish your friends and loved ones a Merry Christmas, think of Jesus Christ. Don’t take Him out of the picture. Without Him, this is just a holiday, but with Him, it’s not just a holiday. Christmas means Christ’s mass-a service in honor of Christ-and we must always keep Him at the center of the occasion.
The wise men kept Christ in the center; they met Him. They had traveled for a long time, saw the star, followed it, and found the child. They didn’t just find the child and say, «Okay, we’ve seen Him» and go back; they worshipped the child. That’s what we want to do at Christmas: to worship Christ Jesus and then offer ourselves to Him.
They gave Him gold, frankincense, and myrrh-very deep, symbolic gestures that spoke of who Jesus was and what God had called Him to be, expressing that Jesus Christ was a King, a Priest, and royalty, while also embodying spirituality. In Christ Jesus, God reached out to us, and in Christ Jesus, we also reach out to God. He came to us, and we go through Christ to Him. Jesus Christ Himself says, «No one comes to the Father except by Me.» He is the mediator between God and man.
So this Merry Christmas, let Jesus remain the center of your festivities. Express your joy with other people, make peace with them, and enjoy the moment. Have a happy day, because you know very soon we will enter a new year, and we will start running again, dealing with all the things we have to deal with in life. But for the moment, let’s pause and thank God for the gift of life and the joy that He brings to us through Jesus Christ.
Let us pray. Say with me: «Heavenly Father, You freely gave Your Son to us. Today, we freely give our hearts, minds, and bodies to You. In Jesus' name, Amen and Amen.» Merry Christmas, my friends! Next week by this time, I’ll be wishing you a Happy New Year, but in the meantime, it’s Merry Christmas! I’ll catch you again tomorrow. I’m Pastor Mensa Otabil. Shalom, peace, and life to you!