3 Things You Should Know about Christmas

Jingle bells! Jingle bells! 

 

The season is here again. Everyone is proudly decked in their caps and brand-new attires; all awaiting Santa to bestow the gift of the season on them and in the process, enjoy some entertainment with friends and family. But, was that all that Christmas was created to be for? No! You say. Of course, it is to celebrate the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ and then, you go ahead to act in a stage drama of Jesus being born in a manger and wrapped with swaddling clothes, sing Silent Night, and set off fireworks to depict the happiness of the season. But, what is the real significance of Christmas that no one ever told you about? Why do we have this celebration?

 

1. Christ's Birth is the fulfilment of Prophecy

For every prophecy, there is a corresponding manifestation and one of the major scriptures that proclaims the coming of Jesus Christ can be found in Isaiah 9:6-7, "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgement and with justice from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this." This shows us the fact that the birth of Jesus was a gift and a gift has the unique feature in that it had to be received which was why an angel was sent to Mary, who, as an unmarried, young lady bent her will to align with the will of God (Luke 1:38, "And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.").

2. Christ's Birth is God's Gift to the World

The arrival of Jesus Christ as a gift to this world helps the believer to understand that He was given as a gift to you and you must accept Him to enjoy vitally all that has been provided for you legally. Sadly, if you do not understood the purpose of a gift, you will abuse such gift - either by under-using or over-using it. Today, many people have accepted this gift of Christ but are still undermining the essence. This is why a person can be a believer and remain broke, sick and failing in life. Christ has been given to you and He wasn't given as a defeated Christ, the victorious Christ was who was gifted to you which means that you should reign in life - it's not an option, neither is it a suggestion, it is a command. Christmas is celebrated to remind you over and over again that Christ is always there for you to call. The Bible calls Him the Prince of peace - that name wasn't placed there so you could cram a thousand names of God but so you could see Christ as the leader of your wholeness and completeness. This is why you should not take academic failure as normal, death as being okay or being sick as a way of life. The birth of Jesus has earmarked the beginning of a life where you enjoy shalom - nothing missing and nothing broken.

3. Christmas reminds you that all good things are for you

Christmas also exists to remind you that all good things are yours to enjoy. The secret to having extraordinary happenings in life just like the virgin Mary did was to have the gift of Christ. Remembering and celebrating helps you to understand more deeply as the years go by that God is the one responsible for your fruitfulness and unceasing multiplication. Celebrating Christmas also helps you remember the fact that although men might have tagged a phenomenon impossible, with God, nothing shall be made impossible. So, probably in the last few months, you had been diagnosed with glaucoma, cancer or any medical condition and medicine has told you there's no other way than death, the birth of Christ is your assurance and hope that nothing shall be impossible. Yours might have been an academic or work challenge and there seem to be no other solution than to drop out or get sacked, Christmas being celebrated is a reminder that your advantage is in the fact that you have received a gift from God Himself and that gift has automatically brought God to your side as a mighty terrible one.

So, dear believer, as you celebrate this season, remember, the secret you had never been told was that God is on your side! He moved to your side because you received the gift of Jesus Christ when you became saved. This is also our official wish of a Merry Christmas to you from all of us at the New Man Movement.

Shalom!