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MSBC Media PlayerMedia Center
MSBCOC | Spirituality
What will I be celebrating this Christmas?
By Abi Colthrust
When Christians first decided to take the pagan feast
"Yule" and re-name it 'Christmas' they were making not only a corporate but a
personal decision. They resolved that they were going to take the existing
festivities and use them as an opportunity to publicly celebrate something far
greater than food, drink and lights; namely, the birth of Jesus Christ - God in
human form - into this earth. As a young Christian today at the build up to
Christmas, I am faced with the same choice. What will I use this time of holiday
and festivity to celebrate? As I thought about it, I realized that in choosing
to celebrate the birth of Christ it would be worth pondering over why it is a
cause for celebration. I listed all the reasons that came to me to celebrate
Jesus' arrival into this earth (more than) 2000 years ago. Here are my thoughts.
I can celebrate a real Saviour
God is a spirit, and He could have kept it that way. But because He loves to have relationship with us and understands that we find it difficult to relate to Him in that form, he came to us in human, tangible, flesh and blood form. John 1:18 says about Jesus "no one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only who is at the Father's side, has made him known." And in Hebrews 1:3 we read that "The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being". Praise God for reaching out and showing us the reality of who He is through Jesus!
I can celebrate an understanding Saviour
When Jesus came to earth He experienced humanity in all its ugly fullness - rejection, betrayal, pain, hatred. He's seen it all; which means we can be certain that He understands and cares about what we go through in our lives. See Hebrews 4:15.
I can celebrate a humble, servant-hearted Saviour
Jesus is the ultimate Servant-King. Born into a dusty manger among animals because there was no room in the inn, he was hunted down to be killed from the moment he was born, and grew up with suspicion and malicious rumours about his 'virgin' birth. Of course this was no mistake. As Mark says, "The Son of Man (Jesus) did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." This year, let's not miss the point and celebrate the cradle without looking to the cross.
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