A Nugget from New Life Network
(by Dr. Larry Ollison)
Scripture for the Day (December 23, 2016)
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)
The birth of Jesus, the wise men, the shepherds, the manger, and all the other events of Christmas are glorious. However, the Christmas season is not just a seasonal holiday. It is the commemoration of the birth of our Lord Jesus.
Most Christians and theologians agree that Jesus was not born on the 25th of December; it is simply the day that we set aside once a year to publicly acknowledge to the world that Jesus Christ was born. The point is the date is not important. The event is. The date is only a 24-hour time period. The event changed the world and the universe for all eternity.
The birth of Jesus was the beginning of the earthly manifestation of God’s plan to reconcile man back to Himself. Several years after the resurrection of Jesus, the apostle Paul, in his letter to the Romans, talked about how those who believed in Jesus were reconciled to God through the death of Jesus. “For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life” (Romans 5:10).
Actually the birth of Jesus is not just the Christmas story, but the beginning of the salvation story – and all of the story should be told all of the time.
Several years ago I was talking to a fellow minister about some of the miraculous things that took place at the birth of Jesus. We got very excited in our conversation. Then he looked at me and said, “I can hardly wait until Christmas so I can teach this at church.” His statement struck a nerve inside of me. That day I realized that too many ministers and Christians only talk about the birth of Jesus one Sunday a year.
The Christmas story is a wonderful story, but Jesus should never be reduced to a holiday icon. He is the Savior of the world who was born of a virgin, fathered by the Spirit of God, ministered on the earth, and laid down His life as the once and for all sacrifice. He did all this as He pressed toward the goal of fulfilling the Father’s plan.
This year as we celebrate Christmas, let’s keep the knowledge, understanding, and spirit of Christmas fresh every day throughout the year.
Merry Christmas everyone!!!
