Christmas: God’s Gift of Love

Dear friends,

The story is told of a television interviewer who was walking the streets of Tokyo at Christmastime. Although there are few Christians in Japan, Christmas shopping is a big commercial success there. The interviewer stopped one young woman on the sidewalk, and asked, “What is the meaning of Christmas?” Laughing, she responded, “I don’t know. Is it the day that Jesus died?” (1)

To many people, it does seem that Jesus is dead. No doubt there are unbelievers who feel the Christmas story is antiquated or irrelevant. Even believers may feel the message of Christ is so buried in materialism that it can only be described as dead. But no matter how people may feel, Jesus is very much alive. In fact, he is the one in whom life can be found: “In him was life and that life was the light of men” (John 1:4). Jesus was born in this world so that we could have a relationship with God and the abundant life that goes with it. He said, “I have come that they might have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10).

The true account of Christ’s birth is found in Luke 2, but the central message of Christmas is summed up perfectly in that most famous of Bible verses:

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

I pray that you have received this greatest of all gifts. If not, then may this Christmas be your time of salvation through faith in the Living Savior!

Your servant,

Stephen

Note: (1) Donald Deffner, Seasonal Illustrations, San Jose: Resource, 1992, p. 16.