“Then the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus.'” – Luke 1:30-31
Christmas time is the most wonderful time of the year.
The stockings are hung by the chimney with care, and the sweet smell of freshly baked cookies fills the air.
Christmas music fills your ears everywhere you go, and ornaments wonderfully fashioned are displayed high and low.
The neighborhood houses flicker with dazzling lights, and visions of sugar plums dance in your head throughout the cold winter night.
And, with just a few days left before Christmas, the pressure is on!
In hopes of getting those must-have Christmas gifts on your shopping list before they’re all gone!
If you could receive anything this Christmas, what would it be?
What gift would make you the happiest to see sitting underneath your Christmas tree?
Is it the new Apple watch, or some stylin’ leather boots?
Are they the latest video games, collectible cars, or a new basketball hoop?
Is it a warm winter coat or a shiny diamond necklace?
Above all, does the perfect Christmas gift truly exist?
The Perfect Gift This Christmas is Free?
If your family is anything like mine, the day after Thanksgiving isn’t a day we can relax and reflect on what we have to be thankful for.
That’s because it’s the start of a new season, the season of Christmas!
Everywhere you look; everywhere you go…what do you see?
Advertisements galore!
You are bombarded with advertisements and coupons everywhere you turn.
They’re on billboards, on buses, online and every day through your mail!
But the best Christmas gift of all time can’t be found at the mall.
No, it can’t be found under a Christmas tree at all!
The best Christmas gift ever was born in a manger in the town of Bethlehem 2,000 years ago.
The best Christmas gift ever willingly died on a cross for your sins and rose again three days later.
The best Christmas gift ever is none other than Jesus Christ Himself!
And the free gift of salvation He offers to anyone who chooses to receive Him can’t be bought on a department store shelf!
Why Is Jesus Christ the Greatest Christmas Gift Of All?
The real meaning of Christmas is not found while walking in a winter wonderland.
It is not found in Frosty the Snowman, Santa Claus and his reindeer, twinkling lights, or in how many gifts you’ll receive under the Christmas tree.
The new car you want will eventually break down.
The diamond necklace you just have to have will eventually lose its shine.
And sooner or later, all those brand new toys will lose all the fun and excitement they have in your life.
Once the “season of holiday cheer” is over, those family problems you swept under the rug will instantaneously reappear.
All the eggnog, ugly Christmas sweaters, and peppermint mocha lattes will all disappear!
But Jesus Christ is a gift you can enjoy even after Christmas is over.
That’s because the benefits of a personal relationship with Him can be enjoyed every single day of the year!
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” – John 3:16
Jesus Christ was born for the sole purpose of dying for the sins of the world.
He loves you SO MUCH that He died a horrible death, for you!
He was the perfect Savior, laying down His life for an imperfect world.
He alone can fill the empty hole in your heart, and He alone can leave you fully satisfied.
What is Christmas All About Charlie Brown?
“Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.
Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
– Luke 2:8-14
Christmas is a time we gather together with our loved ones to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.
It’s a time to remember all that God has done for us, and all that He has promised us.
Instead of making Christmas all about presents, cookies and Santa Claus, we need to tell others about God’s free gift of salvation and His unconditional love.
It’s so easy to get so caught up in the festivities the Christmas season brings and lose sight of its real meaning.
But as Christians, we need to keep Jesus Christ at the center of it all, the main reason we’re celebrating!
The enemy of our souls wants nothing more than to remove Jesus Christ from Christmas altogether.
Everywhere you go this year the phrase, “Merry Christmas” has been replaced with “Happy Holidays”, so non-believers aren’t offended.
We’ve become a “politically correct” nation.
Where every religion is tolerated except the absolute truths we believe as Christians.
People are going out of their way to remove the true meaning of Christmas from our culture, but you can stand for righteousness!
You can remind them about the love of Jesus Christ, and why Christmas is celebrated December 25th every single year!
As a Christian, you celebrate Christmas because God had mercy on sinful mankind!
He gave us the greatest Christmas gift ever, His only begotten Son! The King of all Kings, and the Lord of all Lords, Jesus Christ.
He who is more precious than absolutely anything money can buy!
Jesus Christ is the only free gift that has the power to transform a broken life completely.
- He is the only gift that never wears out or goes out of style.
- He is the only gift that can change a person’s eternal destitution in the twinkling of an eye.
- And He is the only gift that can actually give you peace, joy, and Christmas cheer every single day of the year!
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel!
“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” – Matthew 1:23
No matter what you’re going through this Christmas, know that you are not going through it alone.
Jesus Christ is Emmanuel!
The benefit of having Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior is the promise that He is always with you.
He will never leave you or forsake you.
There is nowhere in the entire world you could go, that He isn’t also there.
He was there when you lost your loved one.
He was there when you were struggling to keep pressing on.
And He will be there for you through thick and thin, 24/7 until He calls you back home.
This Christmas, you have hope:
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You have a Father who loves you more than you’ll ever know
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And you have a Savior who laid down His life for yours
How much more will He also freely give you all things?
He will provide for each and every one of your needs!
God sent His Son Jesus Christ, born through a virgin girl named Mary, to show you there is a special plan and purpose for your life!
So whether you’re feeling happy this Christmas, or the tears have yet to stop running down your face, know that you’re not alone!
God is with you on the mountain tops, and He is in the valley holding your hand.
He has ransomed you from the chains of the enemy.
He has promised you everlasting life with Him in heaven for all eternity!
Nothing this world has to offer you can shine as brightly as Him!
Nothing this world has to offer you can fill you completely within!
So come and adore Him! Come and bow humbly at His feet!
Rejoice by singing Christmas carols as praise and worship to your Savior, your Redeemer, Jesus Christ your King!
Thank you for such a beautiful story. I get reminded of how even when Jesus was presented in the temple, he went passed the high priests (the teachers of the law; those whom were deemed capable of interpreting the scriptures and see the signs) and they didn’t even recognize him. They held him in their hands and presented him to God. But there was Simeon, a man filled and led by the spirit who recognized him. In the same manner, only those filled with the Spirit, in love with God, know who Jesus is and why we celebrate His coming. His death. His resurrection.
Thank you for encouraging me to continue to share the love and truth of Jesus to a world that is senselessly lost.
God bless you Amanda!
Thank you for such a beautiful story. I get reminded of how even when Jesus was presented in the temple, he went passed the high priests (the teachers of the law; those whom were deemed capable of interpreting the scriptures and see the signs) and they didn’t even recognize him. They held him in their hands and presented him to God. But there was Simeon, a man filled and led by the spirit who recognized him. In the same manner, only those filled with the Spirit, in love with God, know who Jesus is and why we celebrate His coming. His death. His resurrection.
Thank you for encouraging me to continue to share the love and truth of Jesus to a world that is senselessly lost.
God bless you Amanda!