What does COVID-Christmas mean to you?

We all know that the Pandemic is still going strong and the year 2020 has been challenging for everyone so far. At the same time, the World is getting ready to celebrate Christmas in a few days. We see decorations, lights, Christmas trees and stars in front of many houses. It is a time for family reunions, family bonding, renewing friendships, and exchanging gifts. Due to Pandemic, holiday travel might be towards the flip side but still as a whole, Christmas season is a time of joy. Specifically kids dream about Santa Claus coming to their town bringing gifts and to adults, this season might mean sending cards to family and friends or having dinner together with their loved ones. All these forms of celebration are not bad. But do they actually convey the real meaning of Christmas?

If we examine the Scriptures, Christmas has a different meaning than how it appears to the World right now. The God of this Universe created us to love him and to have fellowship with him. But the fall of man due to sin created a separation between God and Man. Man parted away from God by indulging in sinful deeds but God was not ready to give up. He always came in search of man through various means to have a relationship but the people of God always tried to dissociate themselves from God. Finally God sent his only begotten son to this fallen World through whom we can be reconciled back to God.

Most of us might know the Christmas story in the Bible which is portrayed in the Gospel of Luke 2:4-19. Jesus was born to Joseph and Mary in Bethlehem and he was placed in a manger as there was no room in the inn for him. The Son of God through and for whom the whole World was created (Colossians 1:16) did not even have a decent place to be born. But the birth of Savior was to bring good news of great joy for all people, “The Good News of Redemption”.

King Jesus in very nature of God did not consider equality with God but rather took the very nature of servant made in human likeness (Philippians 2:6, 7). He incarnated in this world to save us from sin. While he being fully God and yet fully man, came into this world to reconcile us to God as we were alienated from God. The birth of Christ is good news to all because it is a message of hope and love to humanity.

Christ the Lord was born to die, died to resurrect and resurrected to ascend. He is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. He upholds his Kingdom on justice and righteousness. He never fails nor changes and he is sovereign over all. The true meaning of Christmas is celebrating the fact that Christ is our Lord and Savior. He purchased our redemption through his blood and gave us the greatest gift of Salvation. Have you accepted this gift he freely provided at the cost of his life? If not, there is not a better opportunity than now to embrace the promise of eternal life by accepting Christ into your heart as your Lord and Savior. If you already have, then let us celebrate the birth of Christ by pledging allegiance to him and glorifying God through our life. I pray that this 2020 Christmas season be a time of transformation and restoration. Remember even in this pandemic, we have an eternal hope and that hope is in Christ Jesus. May God bless us with these words!

© 2020 Cyril Philip