DECEMBER 25, Luke 2:8-11

One of the happiest seasons in the world must be Christmas. Many go on holiday; students like you have their long school vacation; there is widespread exchange of gifts. Departmental stores will be packed with goodies and toys; people will go for parties and nice meals.

But what was it like at the first Christmas? We all know that Christmas is meant to celebrate the birth of Jesus, so what was it like then? Oh, it would be nothing like today! Not many knew of the first coming of Jesus when it took place. Amongst the few who knew were the wise men we read about in today’s Bible reading. Others were evil men like Herod, who wanted to kill Jesus because he was afraid that Jesus would come to set the Jews free from the Romans. There were no bright lights and parties; there were no departmental stores giving special discounts.

What we have described in the first paragraph is the way many in the world celebrate Christmas. Is it wrong to exchange presents and have a special meal at Christmas? Of course not! After all, it is a joyous occasion, because without Christmas, there would be no salvation for us. But have we truly celebrated Christmas? Are we so caught up with buying nice presents for friends, that we forget about the true meaning of Christmas? Do we remember Jesus? The Lord Jesus is the greatest gift to all of us. He came to save us from our sins.

May we be grateful to the Lord Jesus for saving us. One way to show our gratefulness is to love Him and dedicate our lives to serving Him.

Thought: Thank God for salvation through the Lord Jesus!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You so much for Christmas. May I dedicate myself to You this Christmas. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.