The world becomes busy as the Christmas season approaches. Many friends of mine from different walks of life are also excited about this time of the year. Even though they don’t celebrate Christmas, they feel this time of the year creates so much positivity with lights and songs everywhere. Some of my European friends are happy about a long holiday season and for the children, it’s all about their beloved Santa with his gifts and his funny moves.
The meaning of Christmas differs from one person to another. But many times, people fail to remember the very meaning and purpose behind Christmas. Christmas is remembering the birth of Jesus Christ, the Savior who came into this world to save people from their sins (Matthew 1:21, Luke 2:11,12).
All the people of the world is affected by sin in one way or other (Romans 3:23). We may not acknowledge the sin that is present in us but that doesn’t take away the reality of sin. Sin controls us and makes us captives that we could not enjoy the freedom that God has marked for us. Jesus came to destroy sins so that we might be free to receive all the eternal blessings that are through Jesus Christ. But to receive those everlasting blessings from God we ought to receive Jesus in our lives.
1) Accepting Jesus:
In the Bible, we see that the life of Mary was blessed because she was willing to receive Jesus into her life. The angel of the Lord visited Mary with a message that she has to carry Jesus Christ, the Son of God in her womb. Even though she had so many doubts, apprehensions and questions, she still chose to believe and accept those words from God. She yielded herself to be a vessel in the hands of God. Jesus was conceived in her through the Holy Spirit. Since she was willing to receive Jesus, she was called ‘Blessed’ (Luke 1:41,42,48). She also became a channel of God’s blessings to the whole humanity as Jesus went on to die for the sins of the whole world. She was blessed to be a blessing since she received Jesus into her life.
2) Rejecting Jesus:
But there was another person during the birth of Jesus who was not willing to receive Jesus. He is none other than the King Herod. When he knew about the Birth of Jesus from the wise men (Luke 2:3-8), and also from the chief priests and the teachers of the law about the prophecy of the birth of a Savior. Instead of receiving Jesus as a Savior, he planned to kill Jesus as a baby. In the end, he became a murderer because he was unwilling to receive Jesus (Luke 2:16). Unlike Mary, He was a very prominent personality of his time. He had fame, money, power, authority but still ended up being a murderer as he allowed sin into his life instead of allowing Jesus into his life.
Receiving Jesus into our life is a decision everybody ought to make. When He comes into our lives, He makes us a blessing. When He takes control of our lives, sin cannot take control over us. Sin leads us to destruction, but Jesus leads us into everlasting life. He makes our life a blessing to us and to others.
Christ Jesus was born for each and every person in this world, that includes you. “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” John 1:12. If you receive Him today, He will come into your life, cleanse you, purify you and will set you free from the control of sin so as to make your life a blessing. Let this Christmas bring Christ into your lives which is the greatest blessing we can receive from God. Merry Christmas!
Firm Foundations 