The Essence Of Christmas

Bienhome Muivah *

Christmas eve at Manipur Baptist Convention (MBC) Church Imphal on Dec 25 2013 :: Pix - Daniel Chabungbam/Premanda Yumnam

Signs of Christmas are all around us. Santa, silver bells, candle lights, and carols. But the only sign that counts was given to the shepherds in the Judean Hills-Cloth and a Manger. The Shepherds, we see, lived in a rough world with daily hard work and a struggle for survival. There was very little tinsel and glitters in their lives! Yet God came to them with His realistic sign, "You will find a baby wrapped in clothes and lying in a manger" (LK.2:12).

Swaddling cloth-a square of cloth with a long bondage like strip, was wound round about Him. Manger-smelly feed trough for animals. What a sign! The Messiah was born in a down-to-earth place of humble origin, very much in the real world. This is the vivid descriptive background of Christmas. A baby very much like us in flesh and blood, though the son of God by status, was born for saving mankind from the clutch of dead, which was brought about by sin.

And this boy/baby will be called the Prince of Peace, Counselor and the mighty God. How awesome and farsighted God was in His vision and plan of redemption, mingled with love of the first degree and compassion for mankind that, He had to sent His only one son to the earth. Just pause and think that the baby was to be born from the virgin womb of Mary.

Let's reminisce for a moment and visualize, that we are in Nazareth of Galilee, and travelling with a pregnant wife, say for instance, 80 miles or beyond to Bethlehem. That journey probably took Joseph and Mary about a week as donkey was the only means of transport those days. Today, we can sigh with relief when we think what a contrast with the present high-tech situation when things we want or the person we want to talk to, just happen in a jiffy!

Now coming back to the story. All Joseph could find was a stall in a stable, and that's where Mary delivered her first born son" (Lk. 2:7).

As you take a Christmas journey this month, reflect on the journey Jesus made for us. He came from Heaven to Earth to die for us, making salvation available through His death on the cross and His glorious resurrection.

Let's continue to praise God for that First-Christmas journey.

Friends, what does Christmas mean to you? At times it could be a form of slavery. We set up standards to evaluate the success of our celebration managing to buy just the right gifts for our children, preparing just the right dinner, attending all the church services.

Galatians describes a type of slavery that is close to the heart of the problem. Paul preached the freeing gospel to the Galatians. Paul knows that the Galatians are in danger of exchanging their new gospel freedom for the old slavery of the Law. They are losing Christ.

As Christians we easily become slaves to the Law. Despite the Christmas Gospel we, like the Galatians Christians, tend to put ourselves back under the Law. But as the Bible reminds us that the whole purpose of Christmas is to free us from slavery of the Law. Christ became a slave to make us sons and daughters of the king. He was born under the law, lived in the world as an outcast, and died as a common criminal. The slavery of Christ was the price God paid in order to make us His free children. How blessed we are!

So friends what's next! Let's be joyful for the Prince of Peace, our savior will be born. But how about the preparation? It's not the glitters and lights but the purification and cleansing of our hearts. So, the countdown starts …

May the spirit of Christmas empowers all the readers and become peace-maker.

Glad Christmas and a joy-filled New Year!