By David McLauren
Christmas celebrates the culmination of the three most important events in history—the birth of Jesus, His crucifixion, and His resurrection. Most people define Christmas by what they see—the trees, lights, shopping, gifts, food, and parties. However, that’s not what Christmas is all about. God’s plan for the salvation of mankind had to begin with the birth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Without this, there would have been no crucifixion, no resurrection, and no hope for humanity.
Christmas is the celebration of that moment when God came down to earth in the form of a baby to reveal God’s love for sinful mankind with His death on the cross, which paid our sin debt in full. What does the Bible tell us about Jesus?
God gave us the Scriptures to reveal Himself and His Son, showing us the way of salvation.
Matthew 1:18-23. This record of Christ’s birth fulfills Old Testament prophecy.
Colossians 2:9. Jesus wasn’t an ordinary man.
Isaiah 59:1-2. Our sins separate us from Him.
Romans 5:10-11. Christ reconciled us with the Father through His death.
Romans 6:23. We deserve to die and be eternally separated from God because the wages for sin is death.
Colossians 1:19-22. Christ paid the penalty for our sins by dying in our place.
Ephesians 1:13-14. Once we have heard the message of salvation in Christ and have believed, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit as a promise of our eternal inheritance.
Although we usually associate Christmas with happy celebrations, it’s also an appropriate time for serious reflection about our purpose and eternal destiny. Because Jesus came to earth, we can think about Christmas in an entirely new way. With all the distractions and traditions of the holiday, we need to be intentional about keeping Jesus the central focus.
Mosaic Community Church meets every Saturday evenings 6:30pm in Surrey and Abbotsford. You’re invited to celebrate with us. Our services are in English, Punjabi and Hindi. For more info please call or email [email protected] (604) 897 4224.
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