Aaa Christmas. A time of merry making (it is normally called Merry Christmas after all), joyous laughter (although I don't quite get how "Ho ho ho" equates to laughter, though we do have real laughter by real people), and having a blast with friends and family. Some may choose to let loose and party, while others prefer quiet, quality time with others. Whichever way you like it, Christmas is really a time to be enjoyed together.
But you know, we all seem to celebrate this holiday, yet how many of us really do know the meaning of Christmas, deep down inside? As Malaysians, we celebrate Christmas together just like every other holiday we celebrate. Part of being Malaysians. But do we really know what Christmas is about? So often we just tag along, without really thinking why we celebrate this supposedly "Western" holiday. Many of us still think that Christmas is about some funny, obese, old man in a red suit who can miraculously slide down chimneys (which we don't have in Malaysia) and shower us with gifts made in a toy shop somewhere in the north pole by a troupe of tiny elves (You know, if that old man really does live there in the north pole, he should come down and join the anti-global warming demonstrations, since he'd probably lose his home if the ice caps melt). Christmas is a time when we become gluttons and think of what we (emphasis on the we) want for Christmas. Some of us are familiar with the fact that Christmas is the day we celebrate the birth of Jesus. That fact is true, but how many times do we take it just as a fact, head knowledge, and not more than that? What does Jesus Christ's birth mean to you, personally? Is it just something we celebrate at face value, or does it have a deeper meaning for you?
The fact that Jesus came cannot be separated from the reason why He came. He came to bring life to us all, so that we can have life, and life abundantly (John 10:10). We have all chosen to go our own ways, to not listen to God in our walks of life. The first part of Isaiah 53:6 says "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; ..." And in so doing, we have sinned. And because of sin, we are now separated from God, unable to have a relationship with Him, for Him to dwell in us, and to work through us. But as humans, we try out best to reach back to God. We go good things. We try to be religious. But one fact remains, we cannot, on our own, wipe away our sin. Firstly, we have sin because we can never live up to the perfect standard that would make us righteous and sinless. The perfect standard was given to us, in the form of God's Law. We had our shot at living the perfect righteous life, but we as humans can never achieve that, for we can never keep all the laws given to us. You see, even if we keep all laws but one, we still break the law. And to be honest, I don't think anyone could ever keep every single one of the laws from birth all the way to death. Come on, even the Ten Commandments we cannot keep, let alone the full meaning of "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." and "You shall love your neighbour as yourself."
And so, the plan to live out sinlessly can be ruled out. So what can we do next? There is another way, that is to pay for our sin. And that is the way many of us are drawn to do. We do many good deeds, trying to offset or outweigh our sin with them. The concept here is of a balance, were the good deeds and bad deeds are weighed and whichever is more, that will be the persons fate. This is because the system is different. The system is a legal one. Like in our modern system, breaking the law is wrong. Even if the person does a lot of good, but breaks one law, he or she is still a lawbreaker. The offence is still taken, and the offender punished if found guilty. Likewise, sin is still there on the record. The only way to wipe it off would be a divine pardon, like what can be done in our modern legal system. However, sin cannot be just pardoned. This is because God is just, and so must pass out the punishment for sin. First part of Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death, ..." Having sin means we all must die, and be eternally separated from God, and at the end, be destroyed in the Lake of Fire, our final death. That is the price we need to pay. Whatever we try on our own can never bring us back to God, because we cannot undo or wipe away our sin.
So the final and only solution would be to get a substitute to take the punishment meant for us. And so, we need someone, who has lived the perfect life, to pay the penalty we cannot pay, so that we may live. And that person would be Jesus Christ. Jesus came, on Christmas day, to give Himself up as a ransom for us. The second part of Isaiah 53:6 says "and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all." He took all of our sin upon Himself, and offered Himself to take our penalty, death. John 10:11, the verse after the promise of life, Jesus says "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." And that He did as He hung on that cross, blood shed for you and me. Hebrews 9:12 “he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.” Once and for all, the price is paid, the sacrifice made. And with it we have the gift of eternal life. The full verse of Romans 6:23 is “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
John 3:16 sums up the whole message rather sweetly. ““For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” God so loved the world, the reason for Jesus coming. Gave His only Son, the ultimate sacrifice. Whoever, the offer is to everyone. Believes in Him, the requirement. Should not perish, us being saved from the punishment. Have eternal life, the gift of life.
And by God's grace, we believe and receive the gift of life through Jesus Christ and His sacrifice. Ephesians 2:8-10 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. And with receiving that gift, we also can have a personal and real relationship with God.
Now, for those of us who do know Christ, and profess ourselves to be Christians, what then does Christmas mean to you besides just the above? Christ has come to give us life. What have we done with that gift? Have we just kept it to ourselves, or have we shared it with others? Are you, then, living the life that Christ called you to live? Are you working out your salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12)? Yes, you would say that we have been saved by faith, but wouldn’t real faith in God and a real relationship with Him lead to an outward overflow into every aspect of our lives. John 14:15 Jesus says “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” And what are the commandments? Refer to paragraph three: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." and "You shall love your neighbour as yourself." All the commandments are interrelated and inseparable, for in loving God, we find the security to love ourselves, and also love others from the overflow of our love for God. And that love must come out into action. James 2:17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. James 2:24 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead. So, have we really loved others? Is it real sacrificial love, like what Jesus showed us on the cross, or have we just loved in our convenience, just when it;s okay or when it doesn't cost us? Are our lives lining up with our words? Have we put our love into action, giving back to God, blessing Him, and to others, blessing them? Are we following the in the footsteps of Jesus? What greater things are you doing in Jesus name? And by the phrase “in Jesus name” I do not mean just shouting or saying out His name, but as His representative, His wakil.
So as we take this moment to celebrate Christmas, let us remember Jesus’ coming, in light of His sacrifice, and thank Him for all that He has done, on the cross and in our lives. And also to ask, that He’ll use us even in, and from, this season, to impact others, in His name. We have been blessed. Maybe it’s about time we blessed others. Remember those who are less fortunate than us, and do something about it. Matthew 10:8 (NIV) says "Freely you have received, freely give." It may or may not be money. It can also be your time and effort, or using the gifts and talents God has given you.
Have a blessed and blessing Christmas. Sincerely, Ele Musael.
All Bible quotations are from the English Standard Version (ESV), unless otherwise noted.
P.S. I never thought that this post would end up the way it is. My initial plan was for a short one. And never did I know that I'd spend half the night from 2.40 am to dawn, 6.57 am to finish this. But I'm glad I did. =)
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