Today multitudes of Christians around the world will celebrate the birth of Jesus, our Savior, and our Lord. Yet, for the majority, this day is just another day. In America most know what the day represents but for them, it is a holiday to spend time with family or rest from the workplace. Others will acknowledge that it is the birthday of Jesus, but He means nothing to them. Some live deceived, thinking everything is fine between them and God when they have never repented of their sins. They think everyone is going to Heaven. Where do you fit in this list of people? What is Christmas day to you?
The word Christmas comes from the Mass of Christ. In the catholic church, it is a service sometimes called communion or Eucharist. It is a service to remember the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In Matthew 26:26-28 Jesus is eating the Passover meal with His disciples. It was the Jewish custom to do this yearly as a commemoration of God freeing them from Egyptian bondage. There were ten plagues that God placed upon Egypt to seek to convince Pharoah to let the Israelites go. The last one was the killing of the firstborn of every household unless they had the blood of the Passover lamb over the door. God instructed the Israelites to remember their redemption from Egypt each year with a celebration and the killing of a Passover lamb, and eating a Passover meal. Now, Jesus our Passover lamb was eating this meal with His disciples. He instructs them to eat the bread in commemoration of His body that would be sacrificed for them. The grape juice would be symbolic of the blood He would shed to cover their sins. They did not understand the magnitude of what was about to happen. Later Paul reminds us in I Corinthians 11:26 to eat the bread and drink the cup to remember what Jesus did for us.
Matthew 26:26-28 “Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
I Corinthians 11:26 “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
For Christians, Christmas is a very special celebration of the coming of our Redeemer. It is not about family, gifts, or opportunities to eat lavish meals. While those things may be part of our celebration, we must always keep our focus on what Christmas is about. It was the beginning of our salvation. God sent His son to become a man. He would live a sinless life and die a cruel death all because He loved us. There was no other way that God’s wrath against sinful man could be satisfied. The spotless lamb of God must shed His blood to cover our sins. When John was being questioned about who he was and why he was baptizing people he saw Jesus walking toward him and declared to the public, “Behold the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world.” In I Peter 1:18-19, Peter also identifies Jesus as the Lamb when he is teaching the believers that we should live a holy life, because God is holy, and His desire is for us to be holy. Why is it so important to live a holy life? Because we were redeemed by the precious blood of the Lamb of God. When we give gifts, it should be out of love for others and to remind us of the greatest gift ever given. Our feasts should remind us of the blessings of God. Each element of Christmas should be reflective of the Christ of Christmas.
John 1:29 “The next day John sees Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”
I Peter 1:18-19 “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:”
One day those who have surrendered their lives to follow Jesus will behold the Lamb of God on the throne. The one who will forever be the only one worthy to come to earth live a sinless life and die to pay our debt. The only one who by His own power resurrects His own body. Revelations 5:11-13 teaches us what that scene will be like when we see the Lamb upon the throne. This Christmas day may you rejoice in the truths of who our Redeemer is. As we think of the birth of this tiny baby let us also think of what it will be like one day to thank Him face to face for His sacrifice for us.
Revelation 5:11-13 “And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto him that sits upon the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever.”
