Mensa Otabil - A Special Moment
- Watch
- Donate
Merry Christmas to all of you. May the birth of Christ be significant to each one of us. May we enjoy the life that He brings to us. Glory to God in the highest, and on Earth, Good Will and peace towards all men. May the Christ whom we remember today become real in every aspect of our lives. Well, let’s look at the story of His birth as recorded in the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 2, Verses 6 and 7. And so it was, while they were there, that the days were completed for her to be delivered, and she brought forth her firstborn son and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Today we join Christians all over the world to celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. The key is not whether He was born on December 25th or not; the key is that He was born, and we choose to celebrate it at this time in history. There is a historical account of His birth, and today is the day of the celebration of it. So, Merry Christmas to you, and let Christ remain the center of your celebration.
The passage says that Christ is born. The days were completed for Mary to give birth to her son, and she gave birth to her son. It is the culmination of ancient prophecies fulfilled from the Garden of Eden right through the Old Testament. The prophets of old, through their worship, through their music, through the psalms, through their celebrations, through their sacrifices, all pointed to a Redeemer who would come and set man free from the sin of Adam and Eve. This has been the anticipation of the human race for a Redeemer, and finally, the Redeemer arrives. He comes as a baby, not as a giant king, but as a baby. God starts the process at the lowest level to take us to the highest level. This baby, the Bible says, was born in a manger; He was laid in a manger. He arrived at the lowest place on Earth, in a back village somewhere in Bethlehem, at a time of chaos in the world. Yet, in this place of chaos and disorder, the peace of God, which passes all understanding, is wrapped up in the baby Jesus Christ.
Today, as we celebrate Christmas, remember that the birth of Jesus Christ is not just for us to have fun and enjoy reunions with families alone. It’s good-it’s part of it-but the birth of Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of God’s transaction with all of humanity to provide a way of escape from sin and destruction. In Christ Jesus, we have a Redeemer. This Jesus was born as a baby, grew up, lived a good life, and demonstrated the power of God. He was God in the flesh, and He died. He was crucified, and He resurrected. Faith in Him delivers us from the power of sin and delivers us from eternal judgment. Because He lives, we also have life in Him; our hope in Him, our desire in Him is everything that we want in life.
So, as you celebrate with your friends and as you go and have fun and meet with your family members over a meal and recount all the good things that God has done for your family, remember today is possible because Jesus Christ was born. But He wasn’t just born; He died. He didn’t just die; He resurrected. He didn’t just resurrect; He ascended. And in Him, there is life, and there is life more abundantly. Merry Christmas to all of you, and I trust that you’ll be in church today to fellowship with other Christians as you remember all the goodness of the Lord. Shall we pray?
Heavenly Father, thank you for honoring your promise to us. I receive Christ into my heart as my Lord and Savior. In Jesus' name, Amen.