It could never, would never, be a gift like the one we were given so long ago. One that is celebrated on this day, even as we don’t know the actual date. I found this site that offers a great deal of information on this: Why is Christmas Celebrated on the 25th December?
But right now, in my heart, it isn’t the exact date that is important. The important part, is knowing that He came. It is understanding that God knew from the very beginning, before the first man ever drew a breath, that humans would fall. That His creation would give in to sin’s temptation and that there would only be one way, to cover sin’s price. Through the centuries, man was given many opportunities to turn and get right with God, but failed each time. The ten commandments and the Law of Moses, was given more to prove that man alone, cannot live a sin free life. There is no greater or lesser sin. In the eyes of God, sin is sin, all is bad. And man, since the fall in the garden, is born with a sin nature.
Then, in God’s timing, He set things in motion. Read the Complete Christmas Story of the Birth of Jesus in the Bible
But what does that mean for me? How is something that happened so long ago, relevant to me or to us, in this day and age? It is just as important now, maybe even more so, than it was then. In a time when there is so much going on around us, so much sickness, so much anger and hate.
When the world is filled with the power hungry and the greedy. We need a reason to hope. Jesus the Christ, Emmanuel- meaning God with us. Is that reason. Come to Earth as a baby fully man, so as to experience all the temptations, though He never falls. He felt the loneliness, He felt the fear, He felt hunger. Yet, He was also fully God. He held and shared the wisdom of the age, He did many miracles, He taught and lived love. He went to the cross, the most barbaric and painful of deaths at the time. He had foretold of His death, promising to rise from death in three days and in doing have paid the price for sin that only He could pay.
Christmas Day, a day recognizing and remembering the birth of Christ. It isn’t about Santa Claus and a ton of presents. Even as Santa may be considered a secular representation of the wise men who bore gifts to the newborn king. The three gifts had a spiritual meaning: gold as a symbol of kingship on earth, frankincense (an incense) as a symbol of deity, and myrrh (an embalming oil) as a symbol of death. … Sometimes this is described more generally as gold symbolizing virtue, frankincense symbolizing prayer, and myrrh symbolizing suffering. (thank you google) The child born first to serve, but who will in God’s time return as King. Is the date important? Or is the fact of His birth and life more important?
Do we allow the mumblings of others, over this possibility or that to bring doubt in our heart? Do we allow the perversions of God’s Word by men, to distract us from truth and walk away from belief and trust? Do we allow the commercialism of the day to abduct and distract us?
Or do we simply have faith and believe?
Believe in the greatest love. Believe in the strongest hope. Believe in the everlasting peace. Believe in the greatest gift ever given and accept it as the Truth, the Light and the Way to eternity.
Words from The Dirt Road 