Did you know that most people every year miss Christmas?  That may sound like a silly statement, especially in North America where we drown every year in a sea of Christmas advertising, but that does not change the fact that even in America most people miss Christmas.  They observe the season because culture says it’s the thing to do, but most people are utterly oblivious to the true meaning of Christmas.

 

Christmas is not just a time for children and family; a time for giving or showing your love for your fellow man; or a time for parties and enjoying friends.  There is nothing wrong with those things and we all enjoy them at Christmas time, but none of these things capture the true meaning of Christmas from God’s perspective.

 

The true meaning of Christmas is understood from two biblical facts.

 

1.   Jesus is eternal God (John 1:1) who became a man (John 1:14).  Jesus is the “God-man.”  He is 100% God and 100% man in the same person.  That is what makes Jesus totally unique.  You cannot compare any other religious leader to Him because all others are simply sinful men.  Christmas is about eternal God (Jesus) becoming a man at just the right time.

 

2.   Jesus became the God-man to show us what God is like (John 1:18) and to provide the way of salvation (Matthew 1:21; Luke 19:10).  Christmas is not only about who came, but why He came.  This is what so many people miss every Christmas—eternal God became a man and He came to reveal the true God and to save sinners.

 

Christmas is an opportune time for Christians to tell those who are in darkness about the true meaning of the greatest event in human history.