“But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.’”

-Mathew 1:20-21

Could you imagine being Joseph in the above scenario?

The person you’re about to marry just tells you they’re pregnant, yet still a virgin. They say that the God of the universe spoke to them through an angel, revealing to them that they are carrying the foretold Messiah.

I don’t know about you, but I would have seen this as a huge red flag. I would have thought my fiancée had absolutely lost his mind, and immediately would have broken off our engagement.

But thank God that’s not how the Christmas story goes…

Matthew chapter 1 tells us that God not only spoke to a virgin girl named Mary, but that He spoke to her future husband Joseph as well.

Not only did they believe God by taking Him completely at His word, they also did exactly as they were told by Him to do.

They would soon find out that everything prophesied to them would in fact come to pass, and life as they know it would never be the same again.

Everything was going to change not only for them, but also for the entire world for all of eternity.

Sure enough in a cold, dark manger in a little town called Bethlehem, a baby boy was born. A baby named Jesus Christ. He was the long awaited redeemer of Israel, the foretold Messiah, the Savior of the world.

Why Do We Celebrate Christmas Every Year?

If Jesus didn’t come to earth so we can open presents, drink eggnog lattes, sing Christmas carols, get great sales at the mall, make Figgie pudding, and decorate our home with lights, then why did He come?

Why do we celebrate Christmas, December 25th, every single year? Is participating in the festivities of Christmas unbiblical, and really all that bad?

Sure, all these things are festive and fun to do this time of year.  But as Christians, we need to keep the main thing, the main thing – Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

In my house, we do all the above, and we look forward to it every single year.  But also in my family, we make sure that the birth of Jesus Christ is what we are celebrating.

It’s the death of Jesus Christ on the cross for the forgiveness of sin is what we are remembering.

It’s the name of Jesus Christ that we’re proclaiming to those still lost in this dark and fallen world.

Jesus came to defeat Satan, destroy sin, and prevent eternal separation between man and God.

Jesus came to fulfill prophecy and establish His church here on earth, a church He’s one day coming back for again.

Jesus came to bring truth and light into the world.

Jesus came to give us life, and that more abundantly.  Jesus came to ultimately die on a cross for the sins of the world.

Being imperfect, there was no other way to get us into heaven and in right standing with a holy and just God.

It’s by His stripes, we are healed. (Is. 53:5). It’s by His sacrifice that we are made righteous (Heb. 10:10). It’s by His shed blood that we are washed clean (1 Corn. 6:11).

It’s by His coming down from heaven to earth that we’re granted forgiveness, and everlasting life in heaven if we chose to believe (Rom. 10:9).

Top 10 Reasons Why Jesus Came For Us

1. Jesus came to save sinners.
“This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.” – 1 Timothy 1:15

2. Jesus came to call sinners to repentance.
“When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” – Mark 2:17

3. Jesus came to seek and save those who are lost.
“For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” – Luke 19:10

4. Jesus came to give us an example on how to live our lives here on earth.
“Just as the Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” – Matthew 20:28

5. Jesus came to do the Will of His Father.
“For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.” – John 6:38

6. Jesus came to be a Light shining brightly in our world of darkness.
“I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believes on me should not abide in darkness.” – John 12:46

7. Jesus came so we could have abundant life.
“I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” – John 10:10

8. Jesus came to proclaim the Good News about the Kingdom of God.
“And he said unto them, Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth.” – Mark 1:38

9. Jesus came to die on a cross for the sins of the world.
“Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.” – John 12:27

10. Jesus Christ came into the world as a demonstration of God’s mercy, grace and unconditional love for you and for me.
“In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. – 1 John 4:10

The Deeper Meaning of Christmas

I love how Pastor Saeed Abedini so clearly explains the true meaning of Christmas.

Keep in mind that he’s writing this letter from a cold, dark, jail cell imprisoned for his Christian faith.

“Christmas means that God came so that He would enter your hearts today and transform your lives and to replace your pain with indescribable joy. Christmas is the manifestation of the radiant brightness of the Glory of God in the birth of a child named Emmanuel, which means God is with us.”

-Pastor Saeed Abedini

As Christians, Christmas has a much deeper meaning for us than just another holiday to celebrate.

It’s a time to gather together with loved ones to celebrate the birth of our Redeemer.

It’s a time to remember the miracles God preformed, the prophecies that God fulfilled, and the promises that are still yet to come for us as believers.

So this Christmas, let’s care more about God’s Holy Spirit, than Christmas spirit.

Let’s get more obsessed with God’s presence, than Christmas presents.

Let’s magnify our Savior who was born humbly in a manger, not the black Friday sales going on at the mall.

Regardless of what type of season we’re going through, let’s choose to keep our eyes on our Jesus and rejoice! Let’s choose to magnify our Savior and celebrate His birth!

Christmas is the time when love came down and rescued us.  It’s the time when love came down and set us free.

So let’s eat our Christmas cookies, decorate our Christmas trees, drive around looking at Christmas lights, and sing our Christmas carols as a form of worship – praising Jesus Christ our risen King!