Christmas: God’s love and promise

Christmas is here once again and it’s that time of the year when we are reminded of God’s love and promise to mankind. Since the creation of Adam and Eve and their fall into sin, God had promised that He would send a Saviour to save the world from eternal damnation; for He had created man in His own likeness. Gen 1:27: “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”

In other words, besides the birth of Jesus Christ, Christmas is also a celebration of God’s love and promise to mankind. It is also a celebration of a new life through the birth of His son, Jesus Christ.

God’s love

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Since the time Adam sinned, man has been living under the control of sin and Satan. Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”

However, having created us in His own likeness, God never wanted man to fall into the hands of Satan. So, from generation to generation, He sent his messengers, the prophets — Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Elijah and others to tell the world of God’s love and turn away from sin. But men never paid heed to them and even killed some of them, and continued to sin.

So, in the end, God sent His son, Jesus Christ, hoping that men would listen to him, turn away from their wrong doings and gain eternal life.

Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

The reason that Jesus was born on Christmas day is because God loves us and wants to rescue us from the bondage of sin and Satan and save us from His wrath. He did this by sending His own son to die on the cross as a ransom for our sins. We all fell short but Christ paid the price in full for us. And this demonstrates God’s love to us.

1 John 4:10 “This is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

God’s promise

Christmas is also a celebration of God’s promise to mankind through the birth of his son Jesus Christ.
When man fell into the evil ways, God did not want to forsake him for he had created him in His own likeness. Instead, He promised that He would send his son to save the world from eternal damnation.
Jeremiah 29:11 – “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”

Prophet Isaiah had also foretold the birth of the Saviour who would save the world from sin and hell.

Isaiah 9:6-7 “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.”

And all these were manifested when the Prince of Peace was born on Christmas day in Bethlehem to his mother Mary and father Joseph.

New life in Christ

John 3:16 “…… that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

The birth of Christ is also a symbol of new life in God. When men sinned and turned away from God, He promised that He would send us a Saviour through whom mankind would be safe from hell and have eternal life.

John 6:40 – “For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

In celebrating the birth of Christ, we are also celebrating our new birth and life with him. Christmas is a reminder that God had made a promise and was fulfilling it through the birth of his son while also giving us a new hope and life.

John 1:11-13 “He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believe in his name, he gave the right to become children of God ? children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.”

May this Christmas make you realize God’s love and the new life in Christ.

Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year!