The tree was beautifully decorated. Neatly-wrapped presents were placed underneath. Holly was in evidence and mistletoe hung over our heads. There was plenty of food on the table and merriment abounded. But, did we miss Christmas? Did we forget the real reason for the season?:
The fact that Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah of Israel, was born of a virgin in the little town of Bethlehem and came to live a perfectly righteous life and to die on a cross for the sins of all those who would put their faith in Him.
Our crass commercialization of Christmas has all but extinguished the message of the glorious Gospel.
Many of the songs we sing are largely devoid of meaning. Santa Claus, Christmas trees, yule logs, wreaths, sleighs and reindeer serve to obfuscate the message.
Even the gifts we give are a poor substitute for the greatest gift ever given to mankind--the hope of eternal life with God and the accompanying joys of heaven. In a world filled with hopelessness, pain, war and suffering, this is good news indeed.
Let's take a few moments to thank God for the wonderful gift that He gave to us: the gift of His Son:
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him."
(John 3:16-17 ESV)
No comments:
Post a Comment