Why Christmas?

Time flies so fast. Another year is soon to end. And soon, we are again to start anew.

Evidently today, everyone is just so busy doing the “ber” routine, on a “ber” setting. With the weather cooling down a bit, malls pretty filled-up and not to mention the traffic jam everywhere… well, Christmas is really just around the corner!

So good that we, Filipinos, are bestowed with a positive character toward anything we face. Walking back a bit, calamities that hit the country are still so fresh and in fact many haven’t recovered fully yet. And even if they do, scars would still be there forever present in their hearts. However, despite all these difficulties we faced, Filipinos still have the smile as we approach the Christmas season. What a good blessing that our God let us be. And looking at it, we really have a good understanding about what Christmas is. Or again… do we?

“Christ” (Mark 8:29) pertains to the anointed one, Jesus and “mas” means festivity or celebration. In short, we celebrate Jesus on Christmas Day. Though almost everyone already knows this fact, that we commemorate Jesus’ birth on this celebration, still there is something bigger that we need to know why we have to rejoice… and this is beyond just the birth. It is rather all about the reason why He was born and the purpose why He came.

We celebrate Christmas not just because somebody was born. It’s a part of it though. But what we need to appreciate is that upon His existence was a good message, so good that He had to bring it to us face to face. He chose to appear here on earth as human so as to declare the good news He has for us… and that is, the salvation and eternal life for all. And this is the biggest reason why we have to rejoice and celebrate, because we were given the opportunity of LIFE, that He paid for through His death on the cross.

Rick Warren in his book The Purpose of Christmas quoted, “God could have chosen thousand of ways to communicate with us, but since He designed us, He knew that the best way to communicate with us is face to face.”

True to words, Jesus could have given to us the message without making Himself suffer. But He considered us so special to Him that had to make sure that the message would be given clear and that the truth will reach us and set us free. He was oblivious of pain He had to pass through. He never even made use of just any best messenger to send His good news. He wanted it delivered and declared to us personally. And this is what we celebrate, His GOODNESS!

Jesus came and was born and we celebrate Christmas… and this is true. But as we look at the reason and the purpose why He came, aren’t we seeing any bigger motivation to rejoice? Thru His birth we were given the good message and the truth, and through His death we are given the gift of life. Praise Him!

Now, why Christmas?

Acknowledgment: JFA Interactive (www.jfainteractive.ning.com)