Text: Isaiah 9:6, 7:14
Speaker: Pastor Sam Ogah
All around the world today, everybody is celebrating Christmas.
Christmas means many things to many people. Effective Christians seek to know the purpose of God concerning any event. Christmas has an original purpose but many have lost the purpose. To some, Christmas means time for holiday and rest. To others, it is a time for sharing gifts. To others, it’s a time to show off. Until we sit down and tell ourselves the truth, we lose the true meaning of Christmas. What is Christmas to you? You must understand the purpose of a thing. If you do not understand the purpose of a thing, do not do it. Many are just existing and not living. If you don’t know the purpose of your living, you are merely existing.
So may celebrate Christmas and don’t know the purpose of it. If Jesus was not born, there would be no Christmas. Jesus is the reason for the season. He is the essence of Christmas.
What then is the True Purpose of Christmas?
- To Give Up Oneself – Isa 9:6 Jesus gave up his very self. You need to understand the sacrifice and the mystery behind Jesus’ birth. Do you know what it takes for Jesus to put on a mortal body? He dropped his incorruptible body and put on human flesh. The flesh is weak and inferior and prone to attack and sicknesses. That is a great sacrifice. What Jesus did is trying to tell us how we should live our lives always by giving up ourselves to other people. The least that Jesus had in His mind was Himself. If He had considered Himself, he would not have come down. Today, people are eating and jumping. How much of ourselves have we given up. Some have given up 30%, 40%, 50% etc… How much of yourself have you given up for God and others.
- To Give Our Very Best – God gave us His best through His Son – the only begotten Son – John 3:16. How much of our best are we giving to God? Do we give our best to God? Best of our time, intellect, talent. Are we giving God our best – Isa 7:14. If God can give us His best, are we giving our best back to Him? Christmas is a time for sober reflection.
- To Think Only Of Others – Phil 2:4 – think only of others and not yourself. Jesus put others first in his mind. Think about others. Do not shut your bowel of mercy where you can help. For Jesus to leave his power and authority in heaven and came down to earth to be insulted by men he created was a great sacrifice.
- How To Bring The Greatest Happiness To Other – 1 John5:12. Jesus came to give salvation to men. Let your passion be to bring joy to others. We don’t help because we have; we help because we want to. You don’t have to be super-wealthy to help, all you need is a heart to help. Some will say when I have a million euro, then I will be able to help. The truth is that if you cannot help while you have a hundred euro, you will not be able to help when you have a million euro. Do not think about yourself alone. With what you have, be a blessing to others.
- Christmas Will Be Meaningless If We Do Not Connect To The Source of Christmas– Hebrew 2:3 Christmas is one of the most abused seasons because the purpose is lost. But we pray that the light of God will come upon Christians and those that are yet to acknowledge the essence of the season. Let us show them love and pull them from destruction to the kingdom of God. Jesus us the reason for Christmas.
God bless you! Merry Christmas to You and Your Families.