The True Spirit of Christmas

Long ago, there ruled in Persia a wise and good king. He loved his people. He wanted to know how they lived. He wanted to know about their hardships. Often he dressed in the clothes of a working man or a beggar, and went to the homes of the poor. No one whom he visited thought that he was their ruler. One time he visited a very poor man who lived in a cellar. He ate the coarse food the poor man ate. He spoke cheerful, kind words to him. Then he left. Later he visited the poor man again and disclosed his identity by saying, "I am your king!" The king thought the man would surely ask for some gift or favor, but he didn't. Instead he said, "You left your palace and your glory to visit me in this dark, dreary place. You ate the course food I ate. You brought gladness to my heart! To others you have given your rich gifts. To me you have given yourself!" The King of glory, the Lord Jesus Christ, gave himself to you and me. The Bible calls Him, "the unspeakable gift!"

The above story clearly illustrates the love of God, and the need of mankind for a Savior who would save us from all the sin and evil. Christmas is all about love. We can demonstrate this by unconditionally loving others in spite of their mistakes and short comings. It gives me great pleasure to share with you the joy of Christmas. The unspeakable joy that so clearly illustrates the birth of Christ in our hearts now, as it was then, when He was born in a manger 2000 years ago in the town of Bethlehem. Centuries have gone by, but the message remains the same. It is the greatest love story in the history of mankind that an all-powerful God humbled Himself to be born in this world as a Human being, to save us from sin and to give us a new life by shedding His blood on the cross. Yes, Jesus loves everybody irrespective of religion, status, and any other barriers that man has brought about.

The world needs Christ today than ever before as we struggle in the grip of hatred, jealousy, hypocrisy, lust, pride and all the other evil which so freely exists everywhere. There are so many people in the world who are really ashamed of their inner life, as it is polluted beyond cleansing. People project to be brave and self-confident outside, but internally they long for love and security. There are others who mask their lives with wealth, fame and so many other glittering things, but none of these could give the peace that they long after.

Blaise Pascal, the great French mathematician said “There is a God shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus.”

Yes, that is the essence of Christmas. God made Himself known to unworthy people like us, through Jesus Christ. The Bible says that, Christ became “Sin” for us. All our sins (past, present and future) were laid on Him, as He suffered those grueling hours on the cross. He was thinking about each one of us when He laid His precious life.

Dear Friend, if this message has touched you, and you long for security, identity and peace, I invite you to come to Christ today. It is very simple, and the biggest step has already been taken by God by sending Jesus Christ and sacrificing His life for us. God also brought about a new life for us, by raising Christ from death. Do you want this brand new life in Jesus?

It doesn’t end there. He is going to come back again, not as a baby in the manger which He did 2000 years ago, but as the King of Kings, and the Lord of Lords. The world would shake at His coming, and every creation would kneel before Him. He is surely coming soon with all the Power and Glory. He is going to take us with Him and keep us there for eternity. This is very real.

God expects you to do the easier part. It is as simple as “believing that Jesus died on the Cross for your sins, and rose again by the power of God, and is now with God speaking on behalf each of you”.

Christianity is not a religion. It is a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Nothing is theoretical in it, as the Bible says “Taste and see that the Lord is good”. Oh, it is a great challenge to try Jesus, and I bet you won’t lose this challenge as the victory is already sealed by God for all those who would try Jesus by inviting to come into their lives, and make Him to live through them.

If you are really convinced that you want to try Jesus, would you pray the following prayer with me?

"Dear Lord, I am a sinner, I confess all my sin and believe that Jesus Christ died for all my sins once forever. I accept Him as my Lord and Savior, and want to live according to His plan and purpose. I commit myself into His care. I ask this in Jesus name, Amen."

Friend, if you had uttered this prayer from the bottom of your heart, then you can be sure that Jesus has come into your heart now. From now on, He will take care of you, provided you give Him the central place in your life.

The true celebration of Christmas is not Santa, or the Christmas parties or all the sales that go on and on. It is Christ coming to stay in our lives, and transforming us into new creations.