Thank you for making the time to read this blog. May God bless you. We have celebrated Christmas since we were little, and I believe it is time we understood the significance of it and why we should celebrate it. Christmas is the annual celebration of the birth of Jesus, traditionally observed on the 25th of December every year. Why is the birth of Jesus important? The Bible tells us that Joseph, who was engaged to Mary, discovered that Mary was pregnant. He was disappointed because the pregnancy was not by him. An angel however appeared to him in a dream (Matthew 1:20-21), revealing that Mary’s child was conceived by the Holy Spirit and would be named Jesus, because he would save His people from their sins. Here are two key lessons from this scripture:
The first point is that, before the coming of Jesus Christ, humanity was in need of salvation; from the moment Adam disobeyed God in Genesis 3 by eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil against God’s command and sin entered the world. Sin leads to death, as stated in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
In the days of old, humanity became increasingly wicked and unrepentant. In His wisdom, God sent a solution; His only Son, Jesus Christ, to save humanity from sin and offer eternal life. As stated in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Jesus came to deliver us from the verdict of death caused by sin, giving us the opportunity to repent, confess our sins, and obtain eternal life. Christmas is a time for reflection. Are you on the path to eternal life through Jesus, or the path of sin leading to death? Galatians 5:19-21 warns of the works of the flesh, such as adultery, hatred, jealousy, and drunkenness, which prevent inheriting God’s kingdom. Use this Christmas season to examine yourself, turn away from sin, and allow Jesus to transform your life. For your sake, He came into the world, so you can turn away from sin and embrace life; eternal life!
Secondly, the coming of Jesus was a miracle because a virgin carried a child of the Holy Spirit, which means that Mary did not have intercourse with a man to become pregnant, but the Holy Spirit overshadowed her, and she became pregnant. Christmas brings to reality the existence of miracles and that miracles do exist. If God could make a virgin carry a child, then Christmas is a time for us to believe God for the impossible.
The walk with God is a walk that requires faith to believe that miracles do exist. The coming of Jesus was a big miracle to Mary, and you must also understand that if you allow Jesus to come into your life, your life will be full of miracles. Throughout His life, many who encountered Jesus experienced miracles. Jesus healed the man with an infirmity for 38 years (John 5), restored sight to the blind man (John 9), and many others experienced life-changing miracles through Him. This blog post is too small to record all the powerful miracles Jesus performed. The good news is, you are next in line for a miracle! I pray that God performs a miracle in your life this Christmas season.
How do you have a Christmas encounter with Jesus and benefit from the two reasons I have stated above of why Jesus came to the world? First, you need to reconnect with your faith by going to church or joining an assembly of believers. Hebrews 10:25 reminds us not to forsake the gathering of ourselves together but to encourage one another, especially as we see the Day approaching. Attending church this season will help you learn more about Jesus Christ and grow in your faith. If you’ve been inconsistent with church this year, Christmas is the perfect time to return. The gathering of believers is God’s command, and it offers you an opportunity to ask your pastor or church elders any questions you have about Jesus.
In addition to going to church, you can have a personal Christmas encounter by drawing close to Jesus in your own way. Take time this Christmas to read the Bible, worship God, and give gifts to those in need. These acts reflect the events surrounding Jesus’ birth. In Matthew 2, wise men from the East sought Jesus by following what was written in the Scriptures. They found Him through the guidance of God’s Word, reminding us of the importance of reading the Bible, especially the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), to know more about Jesus. When they found Him, they worshiped Him with joy and presented Him with precious and expensive gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh (Matthew 2:11). This Christmas, follow the example of the wise men. Draw close to Jesus by spending time in the Word, worship Him with all your heart, and extend kindness to someone in need.
If you do not have a Bible-believing church, you can reach out to me directly at 0244636555 and join us at WFC Refuge of Grace Assembly. My name is Pastor Raindolf, and I believe this Christmas is your turn to have an encounter with Jesus. May this Christmas be the best ever in Jesus’ mighty name.
