21/12/2023
WHY DO WE CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS?
At the end of the year, many people celebrate Christmas. Some celebrate it without even a clue of why it is celebrated. Some shun it, blaming the way it came into being. However, regardless of how Christmas celebrations started, the birth of Christ was the primary motivation. So, I think we should tie the celebration of Christmas back to the Christ who is being celebrated and not on how it started.
Christmas celebration is like the wise men coming from the east to worship the King who was born. So, they were not coming to celebrate baby Jesus, though born as a baby. They came to celebrate the King who had just been born; a king had entered the earth realm. Israel didn’t recognize Him but wise men from the East did and came to celebrate Him.
Matthew 2:1-2
[1]Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the King, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
[2]Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
You see that the wise men didn’t ask “Where is the baby that will be king of the Jews?” but they asked Where is he that is born King of the Jews? He was born a king already. In like manner is our salvation as sons of God; as we receive Christ, it comes with the full package. We are who we are from day one.
Our identity is in our birth not in our growth. Our identity is in our birth but the expression is in our growth. Like Jesus, though He was born a King, He couldn’t defend Himself; He needed His earthly parents to run away with Him so King Herod would not kill Him, Matt. 2:12-15. But when He grew up, He said “I could call legions to my aid, if I want.” That was the expression of His Royal Power Matt. 26:52-54. See Gal. 4: 1-10. When you understand this, you will see that Christmas can be celebrated any day.
So, we come like wise men to celebrate the birth of the King. He is no longer a baby like at the time the wise men came. He had long manifested fully His kingly state and status; He is fully on the throne now. We are therefore grateful that He came; we are grateful that God had man’s salvation at heart and sent us His only begotten Son to beget more sons.
Christmas is also the celebration of the birth of the actualisation of God’s salvation plan for mankind.
Matthew 1:21
[21]And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
The salvation plan had long existed before the creation of man but was first mentioned in Genesis Chapter 3. However, the process of time had to pass for examples to be established. That was needful so that when it finally came, man could be able to access it with the help of the Holy Spirit. But the birth of Jesus Christ was the actualisation—the manifestation of salvation. That is why when Jesus was born, the angels appeared saying joy to the world, peace on earth and goodwill to all men. Luke 2:9-14.
Now verse 11 shows us that the angels were calling the shepherds to celebrate; the angels wanted them to find and celebrate the born Saviour—Christ the Lord. They didn’t say a baby that will become the saviour and Christ the Lord.
Luke 2:11
[11]For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
Therefore, let us celebrate Christmas as a means to celebrate the King for coming to the earth for us.
We celebrate God for sending Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour and for actualising the salvation plan. This has brought divine joy, peace and goodwill to all men; it was the arrival of the good news of glad tidings which is the gospel. Christmas is the celebration of the arrival of good news. Christmas is the celebration of the sending of God’s Son into the world, not to condemn the world but that by Him the world might be saved.
John 3:16-17
[16]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.
[17]For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
We celebrate Christmas to also remind ourselves of our identity; we have been made sons of God and we are no longer children. So, we walk in the reality of it in everything.
May I state that celebrating Christmas is a choice, not a commandment or divine instruction. You can choose not to celebrate it or even to celebrate it on a different day altogether. But condemn not those who celebrate, especially with good reasons as we have just seen.
Merry Christmas & God bless you
Pst. Fokam N. TEBO
