Christmas and You
There is a very personal note in the Christmas message which
is frequently missed by many. The birth of Jesus is not simply an
interesting fact of history wholly unrelated to your present
life... but rather it has direct bearing upon it.
When the angel announced the birth of Jesus to the shepherds, the
personal importance of His coming was emphasized. He said,
"Fear not: for behold, I bring you good tidings of great
joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day
in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord"
(Luke 2:10-11).
Have you ever thought that it was for you the Saviour was born?
Do you realize that when God sent His Son into the world, He sent
Him to become your Saviour? Listen to the word of the herald
angel, "I bring you good tidings of great joy...for unto you
is born...a Saviour". Yes...it was for you that Jesus came.
When at this Christmas season, the wonderful birth of Christ is
brought again to your mind through Christmas carols, paintings
and pictures and through the sacred story itself, will you not
consider it was for you that He came?
He did not come to be the inspiration of sacred art, nor to be
the theme of glad songs, much less to be merely a good man and a
great teacher...Jesus came to be the Saviour, and as such He was
born of a virgin, for you (Isa. 7:14; Matt. 1:21,23).
Bound inseparably together are the Saviour's birth and His death.
He came to save, and to save He must die...die in the sinner's
stead, bearing the full penalty of divine wrath for sin in His
body (II Cor. 5:21).
This too, was personal - it was for you.
And such a very personal message of God's love and grace demands
a personal response. The Saviour who was born was God's gift to
you. And he wants you to receive that gift. "For God so
loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have
everlasting life" (John 3:16).
To receive the gift of God by faith you must believe that Christ
was actually born to be your Saviour. You should trust Him
because He died for your sins. You should trust Him because He
lives, having risen from the dead. You should repent of your sins
and trust Him to forgive you and save you (Luke 13:3; Rom.
10:9-10; I John 1:9).
"Why Did He Come"? "I came not to call the
righteous, but sinners to repentance." "To Him give all
the prophets witness, that through His name whosoever believeth
in Him shall receive remission of sins."
"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none
other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be
saved." "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth,
and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me."
(Luke 5:32; Acts 10:13, 4:12; John 14:6 )