Why Christmas Came About
Christmas
- Why Christmas Came About? - (part 3 of 3)
Why do we care if we have Christmas? Is Christmas really that important? I'm really glad you asked.
Christmas is the greatest example of a price being paid for freedom. I believe this is why Christmas has had such a great impact on our world. The concept depicted in the Biblical story of the baby Jesus as the Son of God being born for the redemption of a fallen mankind has led our world into war and has seen opposing armies call for a truce during the Christmas season. One of the most notable examples of a wartime truce for Christmas took place on December 24, 1914 between the British and German soldiers during World War I.
Those who believe that Christmas represents God’s plan for the redemption of mankind place their faith in that event because of the stories in the Bible. According to the Bible, the story of and the reason for the birth of Jesus is described in the following. God created mankind, Mankind wished to be its own god and behaved in a way that separated him from God. God then gave mankind a set of rules to follow so that there could be a relationship between God and mankind. Mankind again became Progressive and chose to make up rules to avoid holding himself accountable. Mankind was again separated from God. God then decided to give mankind a complete freedom of choice. God’s Son Jesus, was born, lived, and died so that mankind could be reconciled to God through the free choice each individual person has to either accept or reject God’s free gift of salvation through Jesus. God said that if a person chose to accept the redemption He offered through Jesus, then that person would spend eternity in the presence of God. If a person chose to reject the redemption offered through Jesus, then that person would spend eternity in the absence of God. God said that He would not force anyone to accept or reject the redemption He offered through Jesus.
The birth of Jesus was God’s gift of freedom to mankind. The Bible says that the freedom to choose rests completely with each individual and that nobody can make the choice for someone else.
Why Christmas? Personally, I believe the Bible to be true and that Christmas is the greatest gift of freedom God ever gave to mankind. For those of you who follow a different spiritual creed, I only ask you to allow me to exercise my freedom to choose. I will place no demands on you to believe that which I believe or for you to celebrate Christmas. As far as I know the only demand that our government makes on anyone to acknowledge Christmas goes back to1870 when President Grant signed a bill that congress sent him stating: " the twenty-fifth day of December, commonly called Christmas Day," would be designated as a national holiday. If I offend you when I look at the stockings hanging on our fireplace mantel, the Christmas tree decorated in our living room, a nativity scene on view in public or when I meet a perfect stranger and say, "Merry Christmas", please have the common courtesy to allow me my personal freedom as I gladly allow you to ignore all the celebration around you.
This past Sunday I enjoyed a special program of Christmas music put on by a local church choir and I even heard myself singing on occasion when it was appropriate. As one of the soloists sang beautifully, my mom stood beside her and signed the song for the enjoyment of all. Jesus truly is the reason for Christmas.
Even if only in my mind, I find myself singing "Jingle Bells", "Here Comes Santa Clause" and a bunch of other songs this time of year. Although my children are technically adults (one of them is married), they still have the look of a child in their eyes when exploring the goodies that magically showed up in their stockings sometime during the night before Christmas morning, or when they receive words of warning when they try to sneak up the stairs too early to open presents. Christmas is a time of year that forces me to see others through a different set of eyes, even if only for a few days each year.
At this time of year my gift to all of you is a wish that you will put on a magical set of glasses with Christmas lenses that force you to see affect that the birth of Jesus has had on you.
Merry Christmas,
* You can reach me at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
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" The birth of Jesus was God’s gift of freedom to mankind. The Bible says that the freedom to choose rests completely with each individual."
[Nick Streza. PROGRESS IN AMERICA, Redefining The American Dream, (Tate Publishing 2011), page 218]
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