TODAY’S VERSE:

Isaiah 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a Son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.
And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

What do you think of when you hear the word “CHRISTmas”? Do you think of a decorated tree with presents underneath it? Do you think of Santa Clause coming down the chimney bringing those presents? What should you be thinking about during the CHRISTmas season?

The answer is the first 6 letters of the word… CHRISTmas!!! CHRISTmas is the day set aside to celebrate the day Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, was born. This day is a special reminder that God became a man in order to be judged for YOUR sins!

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Think about this, please. God, the Son, made the decision to leave Heaven, become a human being, and live on earth where there is dirt, bugs, sickness, and, worst of all- SIN.  He made this decision knowing that the people He created and loved would mistreat Him, reject Him, and eventually beat Him, then nail Him on a cross to die.

Isaiah 53:3 He was despised and forsaken of men,
A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and like one from whom men hide their face he was despised, and we did not esteem Him

Why would God do this? Why would He choose to go through pain and suffering for sinful people, including the ones who would reject Him?

Isaiah 53:5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed.

God loves all of us so much and because of this amazing love, He made the decision to become a human being and suffer the judgement for our sin. He did this so that we would be given the opportunity to repent- admit we are sinners and need a savior- to accept that He is that savior, and accept Him as our Lord and Savior. He did this so we could spend all of eternity with Him!

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

So, when we think of CHRISTmas, we need to remember the reason we CHRISTians should be celebrating.  We should think of a tree- Jesus Christ was crucified on a cross, made from a tree. We should think of presents- Jesus Christ is the ultimate gift to all of mankind. We should think of a man coming down to bring us this indescribable gift- God, Himself, came down from Heaven. This day is 100% about Jesus Christ and all that He has done for us. So, take a moment and thank the Lord for all the blessings in your life, especially the gift of salvation, and never lose sight of the real meaning of CHRISTmas.