What is the true spirit of Christmas ?

Geom Abraham *

Evening of Christmas at Imphal area along with Christmas carol :: December 24 2014 :: Pix - Bond Armando

The lights, joy, and cheer this season brings! It is all around us and we feel a great sense of excitement. There is no denying it. Our spirits are high! We may already be with our loved ones and friends or on the way home to join them all for a good time - enjoying beautiful carols; Displaying a spirit of giving and receiving; Shops have announced their umpteen discounts. Churches ring with programs and joy. Many of us have bought greeting cards (to say to others what we can't ;)) that say beautiful things about the spirit of Christmas and wonderful wishes for the coming new year. We reciprocate to all the cheer and gifts we receive. The mood and spirit is festive indeed. This is truly a beautiful season and spirit to end the year in.

While many of us are fortunate to celebrate and buy gifts, there are many who don't have the money or ability to buy new things for their children and loved ones while there are others who may have the money but don't have anyone to share this spirit with - either because of the death of a loved one or unable to join them..

This is the reality of life and this is what is happening around us. Whatever our state can we stop a moment and see past all these distractions, clamour and clutter?

For me the true wonder of this season, what really captures me is the Pre-eminence of Jesus Christ - His glory and what His life has accomplished for all mankind. There was a time when celebration and enjoyment was all that mattered to me but now I am increasingly led to focus on Jesus in my life. And I would like to share with you what I believe must be our (at least for us who call ourselves Christians) real attitude for Christmas.

The true spirit and attitude of Christmas is "To thank God for the gift of Jesus Christ."; to worship, praise and thank God for sending us a Saviour.

Whether we accept it or not, this season marks the birth of God coming into our fallen world in the form of a baby named Jesus who lived a perfect and sinless life, died as a substitute for all mankind on a cross, but rose from the dead as He said He would, ascended to heaven, seated on God's right hand and one day will return in full glory and power to forever establish God's righteous and holy kingdom where no sin or sadness will ever exist. This is the best news you and I will ever hear:)

And no discussion of Christmas is complete without the crucial understanding of what it means that Jesus is our Saviour, what it means He came to save us from our sins.

We will look at 3 ways from the Bible which proves why Jesus is the only and perfect Saviour for the whole world.

Jesus is our Perfect Saviour because a) He became our Substitute, b) He makes us holy and righteous before God and c) He is our Sympathizer.

Our Substitute – Hebrews 2: 9 - "(Jesus) tasted death for everyone"

This is at the heart of the Christian message – Jesus died for everyone. He died in our place. Our sins – committing the wrongs we know we must not do and not doing the right we know we must do – are always against a holy God and the only penalty for sin is death. We can never pay for our sin, not without spending an eternity in hell.

But Jesus, sent by God, took our sins on His sinless self, died in our place and paid the penalty for our sin in full. This wonderful substitution has now reconciled God and man forever. Our sins are now forgiven forever and we now have the hope of heaven and eternal life. God did this for you and me because of His good pleasure. He was completely uninfluenced when He humiliated Jesus to be made human, to suffer and die. God determined He will save sinners who deserved nothing else than eternal hell. Because Jesus drank the poison for you and me, we will never have to drink it forever.

You and I don't deserve it but that is the greatness of God Who loves us.

Our Sanctifier - Hebrews 2: 11-12 - "(Jesus and we who believe) have the same Father.."

This is a staggering truth. We may find it unbelievable but it is truth. Not only are our sins forgiven, not only are we brought into new life, heaven and blessings but we are made holy and righteous by Jesus.

Basically what this means is Jesus lived a perfect and sinless life here on earth. He did everything to the pleasing satisfaction of God. With his death, we are now covered with that same perfect life. Our position before a holy God is the same holiness and right life that Jesus lived!! When God looks at you and me now, He sees the perfect life of Jesus.

Unbelievable right? Please have a look at Hebrews 10: verses 10 & 14. This is the position God has given us in Jesus. Our lives may be far from the truth of such holiness and grand position. We would think that God has every reason to be ashamed of us but He is unashamed of you and me because we are covered by His perfect life. Each day those who believe are made holy in reality to the position we already have.

What a complete Saviour!

Finally Jesus our Sympathizer – Hebrews 2: 16-18 – "(Jesus) is able to help us"

Although in position we are holy and righteous in God's eyes, but the reality of our lives are far from it. We are weak, fragile, we fall into temptations. We need help!

Here is another example of God's great love for mankind. God made sure Jesus went through every suffering and temptation while He lived here on earth so that He can completely understand the struggles and pain you and I go through and He alone is fully able to help us. He knows what we go through. The pain, the hunger, the bitterness, the loss of a loved one, the joys, the memories, the loneliness, the misunderstanding, the rejection – each and every emotion and feeling and experience we go through.

The amazing thing is not only has Jesus completely experienced these but He never gave into the temptation. He just did not sin. Not even once. He completely withstood no matter how strong and terrible the suffering was and because of that, He has been made completely eligible to be PERFECT and COMPLETE Saviour for you and me; for the whole world. I prefer to have a saviour who understands my struggles and pain and completely sympathizes with me. Wouldn't you?

Jesus knows what temptation is like my friends and knows how to be there to strengthen us and to provide for all that we need. This is the only Saviour. There is no other. No one else will qualify.

The question I ask you today is – IS HE YOUR SAVIOUR?

Wish you and your loved ones a blessed Christmas. May our hearts seek to understand why we need a Saviour and thank God for sending us Jesus Christ.