25 Dec 2014 by Reverend Dr Jai Kumar –
THE SIGNIFICANCE AND MEANING OF CHRISTMAS
There are a lot of wasteful arguments and debates spent, trying to prove as to when exactly Jesus was born. However having done all that, the crucial question is not worrying and wasting our time on the date of birth but the fact of the whole matter is the significance and meaning of the birth of CHRIST.
John 3:16-17
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”
The true meaning of Christmas is the celebration and joy of this incredible act of love.
WE ARE A PRECIOUS CREATION OF GOD
We are the highest form of God’s creation. God loved us so much that He could not bear to see us perish into hell. The question is, what did He see in you and me that were so precious? I suppose we need to take a moment to reflect back on this question and think of the unique and highest value that God has placed on each one of us. So often we have allowed our own thoughts to devalue ourselves and brought our self-value down very low. I guess it’s about time, as we celebrate Christmas this year to realign our thoughts to God’s thoughts as how He views you in the palm of His hand as His precious soul.
GOD IMPACTS EVEN THE ATMOSPHERE OF THE WORLD
Christmas is a day and season of rejoicing all over the world. You will notice if you take a quick glance across the world at this moment every nation seems to be celebrating this season either in the form of holidaying or partying or whatever you may want to call it, they are all in the mood of this Christmas season. And some kind of celebration is taking place in every country and the mood of Christmas seems to be permeating the climate.
If you enter a shopping mall right now, you will notice everybody busy shopping and enjoying themselves with high spirits of joy and happiness.
It seems the atmosphere of Christmas has unconsciously impacted everybody irrespective of race or colour or religion.
In other words this season has a tremendous influence on every society around the world. It’s a season for everybody.
THE SAVIOUR OF THE WORLD WAS BORN
But I want to take a moment today and very briefly and very quickly talk you about what is this Christmas is all about. What is the significance and meaning of Christmas that the whole world is celebrating during this season whether consciously or unconsciously?
The Bible says: the angel announced to the people I BRING YOU GOOD NEWS OF GREAT JOY.
Luke 2:11
“For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
The meaning of Christmas is the birth of Jesus Christ; it doesn’t matter when exactly the exact date of His birth was. The Bible says the Son of God was born in the city of David in Bethlehem. Can you imagine, creation reacted to the birth of Jesus Christ? There was a star that was shinning in the east that was so bright that the world could see. The wise men, kings and philosophers went to pay homage to the child that was born in a manger, not in a palace as the world would expect to see. Because they knew and understood what was taking place in history as the birth of Jesus was already foretold 800 years ago.
Even Herod the king was very worried and became very insecure when he heard that Jesus was born and He is to be the King of kings, the Lord of lords and the Saviour of the world.
Matthew 2:9
9 After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was born. It was a significant moment recorded in the history of the world.
But unfortunately the world has highly commercialized this occasion by excluding the real meaning of Christmas. They want the Christmas tree! They want the presents! They want the wine! They want the turkey! But they don’t want you to mention the name of JESUS!!
The greatest weakness with mankind is that we are “copycats” having a tendency to buy into whatever the world is selling us.
Exodus 23:2
“Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil…”
SIN IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONDITION OF MANKIND
You see the Bible says, in the beginning God created you and I, perfect in the image and likeness of our God. We had perfect harmony! We had perfect peace! We had perfect environment! We had perfect family! Everything prospered around us. The ground was so fertile what you planted grew very well and healthy, you don’t need to add any fertilizer to improve the crops.
Whatever we touched we prospered! We had good life! Perfect health! No diseases no sickness! Man lived for a very very long time. We were happy and peaceful.
It was sin that corrupted the human nature and polluted everything. Sin made us imperfect in every area of our life. Today if you look around, you will see the wickedness of sin that has infiltrated every area of mankind unimaginable and unthinkable it is!
Mankind have to struggle to survive. With sickness, diseases, defeats, disharmony in a cursed and chaotic environment.
Jeremiah 17:9
“The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?”
There are so much of problems and troubles across the world today and the Bible attributes these problems and troubles to the very sin nature of the human race.
Mankind was in a defeated condition. Whatever he tried to achieve by his own self effort! However he tried his best to live by his own performance, everything was a failure and defeat for him in view of the corrupted nature of sin that threw him under the curse. The curse was permeating the very fibre of his life. He was under the Law and the Law could not save him. Man’s spirit, soul, and his body were being tremendously affected by the penalty of sin and punishment under the Law.
Because of sin God cursed the ground that sustained mankind. Even nature had to suffer because of the curse.
Everything, every blessing and well-being that was originally bestowed and blessed upon man was slowly eroding and depleting away. He was in such a hopeless! Helpless and miserable condition.
IT WAS GRACE THAT CAME THROUGH JESUS
And it came to past that God’s heart could not take it anymore to see the misery of the human defeated race living in slavery and darkness, for He loved us so much. He knew that the only way to redeem mankind was to rescue mankind through the GRACE of God. John3:16
God had a rescue plan and He send His son to be born into this world some 2000 years ago in a human form and died in our place to cancel the curse of sin once and for all by paying the penalty of sin. By this act He gave life to us once again to reconnect ourselves to the original blessings of God that was lost because of sin.
CHRISTMAS IS A TIME TO BE THANKFUL
Christmas is therefore a time to give thanks to God for what He accomplished for you and me. The meaning of Christmas is to know that you and I can walk in victory once again. Live in hope once again. Walk in the grace, mercy, favor and blessing through Jesus our Lord who gave Himself for us.
Christmas is an occasion or an opportunity to proclaim Christ as “the reason for the season” among the nations and to those trapped in false religions. Christmas is a time and opportunity to share the TRUTH to someone who may cross your path! Someone who is struggling to be set free.
John 8:38
Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
JESUS IS A GOD OF TRUTH WHO CAN GIVE YOU LIFE AND SET YOU FREE
Jesus came to give hope to the hopeless. Jesus came as a light to the world. Jesus came to give peace and joy to this dying world. Jesus came to show us how to forgive one another. Jesus came to heal the broken-hearted and set the captives free. Jesus came to heal the sick and the lame.
This is the meaning of Christmas. We celebrate Christmas to give thanks to God for the hope and life He brought to us through His son Jesus Christ.
To the hopeless He gave hope. To the defeated and failures He gave victory. To the sick He gave healing. To the sorrowful and hurting He gave comfort and joy. To those who walk in darkness He came to give light. HE IS THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. Those who are ready to seek Him with all your heart and soul you will surely find Him.
John 8:36
“When the son sets you free you are free indeed”
Note: Rev Dr Jai Kumar is an ordained & licensed minister of Covenant Ministries International N.J. USA. He is also the representative of Faith International Bible School for Malaysia & Singapore. He is the founder and senior pastor of Full Gospel Outreach Ministry KL. A member of ECCM (Malaysia) Spiritual Adviser & overseer to various ministries and churches. An itinerant speaker with a passion for missions. He is also the author of a book entitled, ‘God’s Time Clock.’
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Now having read through carefully Rev. Dr. Jai Kumar’s article, ‘A Message of Christmas with the subtitle – The Significance and Meaning of Christmas’ as posted on 25 Dec 2014, I do totally agree that it is just a waste of time for many who are still engaged in establishing when exactly did JESUS CHRIST was indeed born as they murmur, grumble and disagree with the commemorative date as currently been established. And this too includes their continued debate whether he was indeed born or not, when it was already been concluded quite evidently some 2000+ years ago with the actual event having taken place, and some 700 years before that in prophecy too of the same. However, it does have its legitimate place in Christianity and also in the rest of the world’s interest taken into consideration, for its importance from a Historicity perspective and even for establishing in a Biblical Chronological manner, the very authenticity of JESUS’ existence here on earth. And anyone reading the Scriptures with some emphasis on this matter, will be able to establish a triangulation for this momentous and gigantic event in our World History and humanity as a whole, which comprises:
(1) The Roman Census that was needed to be taken at that time – Luke 2:1-2 confirms as decreed by Caesar Augustus, whilst Quirinius was governing Syria. This had significantly forced by law, the Blessed Virgin Mary now with the baby in her womb in her advanced stage, together with her husband Joseph, to make this trip to Bethlehem of Judea. This explains why they were both in Bethlehem at that time and also why in this particular place which was due to their roots and Davidic connection. And whilst there, JESUS was born. Praise the LORD. This in itself falls well in place with the Old Testament Prophecy (OT) as in Micah 5:2.
(2) King Herod the Great in fact came very close in achieving his attempted murder of the boy child JESUS who was destined besides other even more important matters of breaking the captivity hold of Satan over all of our lives, through our sins, transgressions and death i.e. for all mankind; for HE was indeed hailed as ‘The King of the Jews’, whilst hanging on the very Cross! And the advisers of King Herod the Great were absolutely correct in their establishing the place of birth of this ‘King of the Jews’ to be Bethlehem.
(3) Now together with the announcement of the wise men that they had seen HIS Star in the East (Matt 2: 1-2) and have come to worship HIM, gave more information to the possible time of HIS birth with more specificity, which was determined by King Herod (and his advisers) to be about two years at best from the sighting. And when the wise men had found the young child JESUS CHRIST due to the leading of the same Star in a supernatural manner, showed them exactly where JESUS was at the time – Matt 2:9. And having been warned divinely in a dream, for the safety of the young Child JESUS i.e. not to reveal the place to King Herod, they departed for their own country another way. At the same time, Matt 2:13………..an angel of the LORD appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise take the young Child and HIS mother flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy HIM.” And this was how JESUS had escaped the ‘Massacre of Innocents’ – Matt 2:16-18 and fulfilling the prophet, saying – “Out of Egypt I called my son.” – Hos 11:1.
So, we have the place confirmed and we have the estimated time or date of birth of JESUS CHRIST according to the reference of this triangulation with an added Historical fact of King Herod’s reign. At which time at the end of his reign, meaning when had died; Joseph, Mary and the boy JESUS CHRIST returned to Israel – specifically Nazareth-Galilee. Matt 2:19-23 confirms and this return also fulfills Hos 11:1 and also Judges 13:5 – that JESUS will be called a Nazarene.
Now Dr. Jai Kumar besides his opening statements for the utter waste of time in pursuing the already known period of JESUS’ birth according to the Scriptures, explains the crux of the matter for the reason of the season, by peeling away all of the worldly layers of this commercialization for profit and entertainment. That the actual ‘Significance and Meaning of Christmas’, and I could not agree with him more, for what it is, should be as he said, “For giving ‘Thanks to GOD’ for everything received, for the hope and life HE has brought to us through His son Jesus Christ.” Amen.
This meaning, if I read between the lines and to reaffirm this somewhat, to be commemorating each time we celebrate this season, the very entrance of GOD INCARNATE- JESUS CHRIST into this world – John 3:16 (NKJV), having been born of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Matt 1:23, the Word having become flesh and having dwelt amongst us – John 1:14. And all of this was to be a divine preemptive strike intervention against Satan directly, to save us from having been dead in our trespasses and sins since Adam and Eve – Ep 2:1. Amen.
Thank you Rev. Dr. Jai Kumar for your timely effort through this article. GOD BLESS to all – and keep strong in the Faith always.
‘In CHRIST WE REMAIN, WITHOUT CHRIST WE PERISH!’.
Amen.