Isn’t it wonderful that we can celebrate the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ this Christmas season?!
One homeschool morning a few years ago now, I had just settled down at the table with the days lessons with our son who found it very challenging to sit and put his brain to work on something that was not his idea of being worth thinking about.
We heard a car stop close by and out stepped a couple of nicely dressed people and of course, one had to be walking towards our door. I groaned inwardly and I then told one of our daughters to tell this lady that their mother was not available. It must have been the Holy Spirit opening my eyes to this opportunity and I quickly changed my mind. “Wait, let me get the door”, I said. I put a smile on my face, opened the door, and this is how I greeted this woman who was here to share from her Jehovah’s Witness training:
“Isn’t it great to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ this Christmas season!?”
She did not know how to respond!
It was wonderful, in a way… At least it wasn’t me that was sheepishly speechless.
I offered her a booklet that has the way of salvation in it but she wouldn’t accept it so I told her I couldn’t accept hers either for the same reason. I did feel sorry for her and prayed that she might also become a child of God’s some day.
You see, they do not believe in the virgin birth of God’s Son and that Jesus is equal with the Father. To them, He was just a good teacher.
Well, my Jesus is very real to me. He is my Redeemer. He is my Strength and my Song. My Good Shepherd as I follow Him. I have learned to say that Jesus and I, we can do lots of things together! He is preparing a place for me and some glad day I will be with Him forever!
I just wish I was always this exuberant when it comes to witnessing for my LORD and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Now, on to this season of Christmas. Some of us struggle with all the commercialism, and shopping for just the right thing for each person we appreciate.
Yes, there are many who are making a lot of money because of so many events going on during this time (commercialism). There are many that are vainly looking for something to fill that void deep inside of them which can only be filled by receiving Jesus Christ as their LORD and Saviour.
For many though, it’s a very sad time because of what they have lost and special events just make it so much more obvious that their loved one is not with them anymore.
One of the things that does make the birth of Jesus an easy thing to celebrate is that everyone appreciates the innocence of a little child. There is nothing threatening about it. Unless you are the full-time caregiver because then you basically lay your life aside to care for the infant. But that leads to a whole load of other topics.
Researching the history of this holiday is rather depressing. Yet, we can’t get away from it all so what do we do? To me, it’s more a matter of the heart. Do I go along with all the buying and receiving gifts because I can, or am I making it a meaningful time for my family and myself? The LORD constantly showers me with gifts so I know it’s not wrong to give them. Basic life necessities like food, shelter, and clothing are gifts that the LORD provides for us daily but He does so much more. I will not attempt to list them all now but Salvation and life everlasting with Him are Unspeakable Gifts that I do not, nor will I ever deserve!
Unspeakable. What do I mean by that? I found it in the Bible (2 Corinthians 9:15) and its like this. No words can ever properly express the greatness of the Gift that is bestowed upon us. It is unutterable; it cannot be related.
This sermon by Charles Spurgeon really blessed me. He said it like this:
"...after nearly 1900 years, if the theme we have to preach about were speakable, we should have exhausted it—but as it is unspeakable,
a sea without a shore, an ocean without a bottom—we will keep on preaching for another 1900 years, if the Lord does not come—and we shall never get to the end of this theme, I am quite sure!" (Read more here)
Take the sufferings that our LORD endured and His inexpressible Love toward us, how can we truly explain it all?
How can we refrain from being thankful?
-So as we light up, listen up, bake, clean, practice with our kids, etc., let’s look up and keep in mind that Jesus is the Light of the World and we are shining for Him when we speak and act on His behalf.
God created us and gives us the freedom to be creative in our own ways to show our delight in Him. So let’s celebrate with traditions (new or old) that reflect our personalities and passions and let the whole world know that the LORD has come, AND is coming again.
I for one, am making an extra effort to pray for a certain person who prides himself in putting up the greatest show of lights on his property in the community he lives in but does not have the Light of the World (Jesus) in his heart. I so hope to hear of his accepting the Unspeakable Gift of salvation through Christ. I know it can happen. I have seen it happen and I am expecting it to happen again!
Let’s celebrate Jesus with our whole heart, soul, and mind. No matter what the season!
By Tina D Wiebe
If Jesus Had Not Come
If Jesus had not come, how dark had been the night!
The wise men, sadly dumb, had seen no starry light!
The shepherds on the hill had heard no angel song!
The bells in silence chill, no joyous peal had rung!
If Jesus had not come, no freedom had the slave;
No woman's happy home, no hand a child to save;
The people in the gloom had one eternal night:
Death met them at the tomb, no resurrection light!
If Jesus had not come, no Great Physician king
Had brought a healing balm, a vision for the blind!
No soul with demon torn had found a sure release!
The hopeless and forlorn had found no way of peace!
If Jesus had not come, how blank the Sacred page!
The poet had no song, and silent were the sage!
No artist to adorn our worship with delight;
No choral Psalm had borne His praises day or night!
If Jesus had not come, how sad had been our fate!
Of judgment sore the sum for all our sin and hate!
No loving God of grace His precious Son had giv'n;
No hope to see His face; no joy to meet in heaven!
Chorus:
But Jesus came! He came to earth,
And men beheld His manger birth!
The shepherds heard the angels sing,
The wise proclaimed Him Lord and King!
He died, He rose; and by His blood,
We too become the sons of God;
We preach the gospel in His name!
For Jesus came! Yes, Jesus came!
By Albert C. Norton