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Matthew 1:21

21         She shall give birth to a son. You shall name him Jesus, for it is he who shall save his people from their sins.”

What Does Christmas Mean to Me?

Over the next three parts, I want us to be curious about the answer to this question: “What does the Christmas season mean to me?” I feel like it’s a little bit of a weird question to ask when it comes to this time of year. However, I believe it will help us to understand how we can connect to the reason of the season a little bit better.

To quickly answer this myself, Christmas is a reminder of the source of love that came into the world at the time it was needed the most. Jesus wasn’t only going to show how to love and extend compassion to those around but would be the ultimate redemption of my sins and rescue me from that bondage so that I can have a right relationship with my heavenly Father. It’s also a reminder to take care of the community around me. To extend the same undeserved love I was given freely to my family, friends, neighbors, and strangers.

REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: What does Christmas mean to you?

The Gift of Salvation

We’ve talked about the prophetic history of this birth in the previous parts, as well as the origin of the name “Jesus.” Go check out Parts 1 through 8 of this series to get the low down on that. However, learning about why Jesus was sent for us is the focus of today. The primary mission of Jesus is the salvation from sin. The messianic expectation was that Israel would be delivered. However, this expands to spiritual deliverance from sin. The salvation of sin is a focal point of the New Testament, shown through Jesus sacrificial death. This moment would be the moment that humanity reconciled to God.

REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: Salvation is not just a political or national liberation. What is one thing that you feel chained to that Christ can free you from?

Jesus’ Mission Spreads to Us

Jesus’ mission as to save His people from their sins. Our sins are what separates us from God. When we sin, we miss the mark of living a godly lifestyle. When we repent, we ask for forgiveness of our sins and turn away from them. We turn to what His ways are and how we can implement them in our daily life. The more people that sin, the further our world falls away from God. This is not me saying that the United States should be a Christian nation. I say this in a way to show the more people that stray away from extending love to our neighbors and community, the further we fall to the evil influences of the world. This is why we need someone to steer the ship back into the right path. Someone to show what it means to love in a self-sacrificial way. Someone to show us that we need to care for all people of all communities. Someone to guide us toward a way that reflects God’s light into the world. This way is Christ. We celebrate the birth of this new path this Christmas season.

REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: How can you share that love of Christ of all people this holiday season?

Next part: Inclusivity in the Gospel || Curious About Christmas || Part 10