Christmas & New Year Greetings For many people, Christmas is an occasion for fun and revelry. Happiness derived from such celebrations is superficial and short-lived. The Christ of Christmas is totally out of focus. If only we can put aside the superficial celebrations of Christmas and see and know the Christ of Christmas, our celebrations will be full of joy beyond description.
What is Christmas? Human history has seen many great kings, philosophers and religious leaders, but no one has affected humankind and society as much as a person called Jesus. Every year millions of people of all races, in every continent, celebrate his birthday on Christmas day. Who is this Jesus? Where do we find details of his story? What do we know about his life and teachings? What did he do? What can he offer us today? 1
Where can we find out about Jesus? Mathew and John were two people among others who met Jesus, followed him around for three years, saw what he did and heard what he said and wrote down their observations of this extraordinary man. Mark wrote his story from eye witness accounts of a man called Peter who was Jesus’ close friend and disciple. The fourth writer, Luke, wrote his account after a careful study and thorough research. The writings of these four men are called the Gospels, and are a part of the New Testament, the second half of the Bible.
Hundreds of details of Jesus’ life were written long before His birth. There is another source. Writers of the Old Testament (the first part of the Bible) who lived 400 to over 1,200 years before the birth of Jesus, also wrote about him. It is truly amazing! They wrote of details such as his miraculous supernatural conception, the location, time and circumstances of his birth, the things he would say and do, how his friends would let him down, how he would suffer a painful death and the strangest of all, that he would come back to life after being dead. Everything written about Jesus by these men called prophets came true to the last detail. 2
Biographies of great people are written either during their lifetime or after their death, only one man’s life story was written hundreds of years before he was born and his name is Jesus Christ. How did these ancient writers know of him? The secret is in 2 Peter 1:21 – ‘The prophets did not think these things up on their own, but they were guided by the Spirit of God.’ The real author of the Bible is God Himself.
Who was this Jesus? Was he a man? Was he God? To understand who Jesus really was, we have to rewind to the beginning. In the beginning, the world was beautiful and good – it was far from anything bad like what we see around us today. The first man called Adam and his wife Eve misused the freedom of choice they had. They chose to be independent of God by deliberately disobeying God’s command. As a result, their lives changed forever. Pain, misery, trouble, disease, and death entered their lives. Happy times were gone. They lost their special relationship with God. They began blaming each other. Life became hard and work was painful. Later, their eldest son killed his younger brother. Selfishness, hatred, murder and all other evil behavior began to surface 3
and grow. This first wrong choice of Adam and Eve damaged their character and of all mankind after them! According to God’s holy and just nature, evil or sin had to be punished. But God also being full of selfless love and deep compassion promised that one day he would send someone to take the punishment - for all evil, in all people, of all generations - once and for all. Two thousand years ago he kept that promise. He sent Jesus. God became man. This is what Christmas is about. John 1:1, 14 – In the beginning was the one who is called the Word. The Word was with God and was truly God…. The Word became a human being and lived here with us. We saw his true glory, the glory of the only Son of the Father. From him all the kindness and all the truth of God have come down to us. John 3:16 – God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die. God also promised, through Jesus, to change our character and to make us brand new people from the inside out: to free people from the prison of selfishness, unforgiveness and hatred and replace them with His godly characteristics like love, love for even one’s enemies. 4
2 Peter 1:4 – God made great and marvelous promises, so that his nature would become part of us. Then we could escape our evil desires and the corrupt influences of this world. This is the good news, the angel brought from heaven to some shepherds at the time of Jesus’ birth. Luke 2:10 – But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid! I have good news for you, which will make everyone happy. Ezekiel 36:26-27 (GNB) – I will give you a new heart and a new mind. I will take away your stubborn heart of stone and give you an obedient heart. I will put my spirit in you and will see to it that you follow my laws and keep all the commands I have given you. Titus 2:14 – He gave himself to rescue us from everything that is evil and to make our hearts pure. He wanted us to be his own people and to be eager to do right.
God became man. What’s in a name? Mathew 1:18-23 – This is how Jesus Christ was born. A young woman named Mary was engaged to Joseph from King David’s family. But before they were married, 5
she learned that she was going to have a baby by God’s Holy Spirit. Joseph was a good man and did not want to embarrass Mary in front of everyone. So he decided to quietly call off the wedding. While Joseph was thinking about this, an angel from the Lord came to him in a dream. The angel said, “Joseph, the baby that Mary will have is from the Holy Spirit. Go ahead and marry her. Then after her baby is born, name him JESUS, because he will save his people from their sins.” So the Lord’s promise came true, just as the prophet had said, “A virgin will have a baby boy, and he will be called IMMANUEL,” which means “God is with us.” A drowning person needs a saviour not a teacher or an entertainer! Luke 19:10 - Jesus came to seek and to save the lost.
What was Jesus like? What did he do? What did he say? For the most part of his life Jesus lived like any other person with his family in his hometown. At the age of thirty he left his home and did some unusual things. Matthew 4:23-24 – Jesus went all over Galilee, teaching 6
in the Jewish meeting places and preaching the good news about God’s kingdom. He also healed every kind of disease and sickness. News about him spread all over Syria, and people with every kind of sickness or disease were brought to him. Some of them had a lot of demons in them, others were thought to be crazy, and still others could not walk. But Jesus healed them all.
He claimed power over death. John 11:25 – Jesus then said, “I am the one who raises the dead to life! Everyone who has faith in me will live, even if they die.” He did what no man had ever done before. At one time he told his friends, a group of fishermen, who hadn’t caught a single fish all night, to put down their nets. Luke 5:5-6 – “Master,” Simon answered, “we have worked hard all night long and have not caught a thing. But if you tell me to, I will let the nets down.” They did it and caught so many fish that their nets began ripping apart. Another time a local elder’s only daughter had died, but Jesus went and raised her back to life. He drove demons out of a man who had been possessed for a long time and restored 7
him to his normal senses. He made a blind man see. With just five loaves and two fish he fed thousands of people till they were full and later the disciples even gathered twelve baskets full of leftovers. He stilled the raging stormy waters of the Sea of Galilee with just one word. He made friends with people like tax collectors and prostitutes, those who were treated badly by people who thought of themselves as being good. These ‘bad people’ changed their lifestyle for him. He brought out the best in them. He condemned the religious leaders of those days for their hypocrisy; he exposed illegal business practices in the local religious meeting place. Wherever he went Jesus caught the attention of the people. Once some people brought their crippled friend through the roof of a house to Jesus. He shocked the religious leaders thus: Mark 2:5-12 – When Jesus saw how much faith they had, he said to the crippled man, “My friend, your sins are forgiven.” Some of the teachers of the Law of Moses were sitting there. They started wondering, “Why would he say such a thing? He must think he is God! Only God can forgive sins.” Right away, Jesus knew what they were thinking, and he said, “Why are you thinking such 8
things? Is it easier for me to tell this crippled man that his sins are forgiven or to tell him to get up and pick up his mat and go on home? I will show you that the Son of Man has the right to forgive sins here on earth.” So Jesus said to the man, “Get up! Pick up your mat and go on home.” The man got right up. He picked up his mat and went out while everyone watched in amazement. They praised God and said, “We have never seen anything like this.” He made revolutionary statements about everyday things. He made people think. He said things that would change relationships and society:
He equated anger with murder: Matthew 5:21-22 (GNB) – You have heard that people were told in the past, ‘Do not commit murder; anyone who does will be brought to trial.’ But now I tell you: if you are angry with your brother you will be brought to trial.
Lust with adultery:
Matthew 5:28 – But I tell you that if you look at another woman and want her, you are already unfaithful in your thoughts. 9
He overturned the natural patterns of behavior: Matthew 5:39-43 – But I tell you not to try to get even with a person who has done something to you. When someone slaps your right cheek, turn and let that person slap your other cheek. If someone sues you for your shirt, give up your coat as well. If a soldier forces you to carry his pack one mile, carry it two miles. When people ask you for something, give it to them. When they want to borrow money, lend it to them. You have heard people say, “Love your neighbors and hate your enemies.” But I tell you to love your enemies and pray for anyone who mistreats you. Matthew 23:11 – Whoever is the greatest should be the servant of the others.
Not only did he live an extraordinary life, but he died an extraordinary death: to restore man’s relationship which had been severed with God. 1 Peter 2:24 – Christ carried the burden of our sins. He was nailed to the cross, so that we would stop sinning and start living right. 10
1 Corinthians 15:3-4 – Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures. You may wonder why Christ had to die for us. Let me share with you in a few words. Bible references will help you see the complete verses in the Bible. Every one of us has sinned. If we are honest with ourselves, we will see the reality of sin in us 1 - ‘I know that my selfish desires won’t let me do anything that is good. Even when I want to do right, I cannot. Instead of doing what I know is right, I do wrong.2’ The wages of sin is death.3 Sin brings us under extreme anger and judgment of God. Death is certain to all. Each one is answerable to God individually.4 Without shedding of the blood there is no remission of sins.5 Sacrifices of animals cannot take away the sins of people.6 Jesus is the sinless ‘lamb of God’ that takes away the sin of the world. God did not abandon us.7 While we are yet sinners, Christ died for us.8 Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins.9 Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit.10 He made 11
Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.11 He paid the price and set us free.12 He removed the anger of God and brought to us peace with God.13 Now there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.14 The name JESUS is given to him because he will save his people from their sins.15 1Romans 3:23. 2Romans 7:15-25. 3Romans 6:23. 4Ephesians 21-3, Ezekiel 18:20, Hebrews 9:27. 5Hebrews 9:22. 6Hebrews 10:3-4. 7John 1:29. 8Romans 5:8. 9Hebrews 10:11-12. 101 Peter 3:18. 112 Corinthians 5:21. 12Mark 10:45. 131 John 2:2. 14Romans 8:1. 15Matthew 1:21
What does Jesus offer you today? He invites anyone who will trust him to come to him:
For peace and rest: Matthew 11:28-29 – If you are tired from carrying heavy burdens, come to me and I will give you rest. Take the yoke I give you. Put it on your shoulders and learn from me. I am gentle and humble, and you will find rest. John 14:27 – I give you peace, the kind of peace that only I can give. It isn’t like the peace that this world can give. So don’t be worried or afraid. 12
Matthew 6:25-27; 31-32 – I tell you not to worry about your life. Don’t worry about having something to eat, drink, or wear. Isn’t life more than food or clothing? Look at the birds in the sky! They don’t plant or harvest. They don’t even store grain in barns. Yet your Father in heaven takes care of them. Aren’t you worth more than birds? Can worry make you live longer? Why do you have such little faith? Don’t worry and ask yourselves, “Will we have anything to eat? Will we have anything to drink? Will we have any clothes to wear?” Only people who don’t know God are always worrying about such things. Your Father in heaven knows that you need all of these.
For forgiveness: 1 John 1:9 – But if we confess our sins to God, he can always be trusted to forgive us and take our sins away. 1 John 1:7 The blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
For acceptance: Romans 5:1-2 – By faith we have been made acceptable to God. And now, because of our Lord Jesus Christ, we live at peace with God. Christ has also introduced us to 13
God’s undeserved kindness on which we take our stand.
For Eternal Life: John 3:16 God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die. You can read more about Jesus in the Bible. The Bible is God’s Word. In it you will find words of comfort, hope, strength and wisdom for your life. Get a copy of the Bible in your mother tongue and read it to get to know Jesus personally and enter into God’s family. Your life will never be the same again after this Christmas. Not just this new year, but years to come, God’s goodness and his mercy will follow you all the days of your life. This sample prayer given below is not a formula to become a child of God, but it is a good start to talk to Him directly. We can never earn God’s favor by our good works. Our salvation is purely by His Grace (Ephesians 2:8-9). Dear God, thank you for opening my eyes. I repent of my sins. Please forgive me. Thank you for sending your son Jesus to die 14
on the cross and to take the punishment I deserved. Thank you for your invitation to be your child. I receive Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour. From now on I want to live for you. Help me to continue in your word all my life. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen. Read these passages to learn how others have joined God’s family: Luke 18:9-14; Acts 2:37-41; Luke 19:1-10; Romans 10:9. Seek help of followers of Jesus to help you study God’s Word and to have fellowship with others in the family of God. New life in Christ is not without challenges and difficulties. God who will never go back on his promises. He has promised his children his grace, loving presence, guidance, provision and protection. Philippians 1:6: God is the one who began this good work in you, and I am certain that he won’t stop before it is complete on the day that Christ Jesus returns.
15
All Scripture verses are quoted in the Contemporary English Version unless otherwise mentioned
18