When you read about the birth of Christ what does it mean to you? Does it stir some emotion within you? Well it should because the world has never been the same since Christ came on that first Christmas day. The coming of Jesus Christ was the greatest example of love the world has ever seen. Without the death of Christ on the cross the world would not be saved from the penalty of sin. Only Christ could be the perfect sacrifice that could be the atonement for all the sins of the world. Christ came because as John 3:16 says so well, “For God so loved the world.” God did not make the world because he needed us. We were created out of love.
The words of Luke 2:10 tells us of “Good tidings of great joy.” There is no greater joy than knowing that God loves us. Just think, we were so loved by God that Christ offered Himself up for us. There is no greater act that one can do than to offer ones life for another. A loving parent will do that for their child and just think, Christ loves us with that intensity. No one can love us greater than Christ. I don’t think we can truly comprehend that love. Never loose sight of the fact that Christ freely came and made the greatest sacrifice that could ever be made for you and I. At the birth of Christ even though it went unnoticed by most of the world. The birth of Christ now meant hope for the world because sin and Satan would now be conquered.
Verse 10 ends with the wonderful words, “which shall be to all people.” Christ did not come for a select few. Remember the words of Romans 10:1,3 “All who call upon the Lord will be saved.” No one is excluded from salvation. We read in II Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
We would all have to agree that this world is not always a fair place to live. Some seem to have so much more than others do. There is definitely not an even distribution of wealth in this world. Some seem to have an advantage over others but not so when it comes to salvation, the gift of God’s only Son. Christ was born in a place for cattle and had a manger for a crib to show the world that He came for others with nothing intended for himself. The love of God is available to you. All you have to do is accept Christ as your Savior of the world.
Life may not be fair but God is and his gift of salvation is for all. I remember the words of a song from a cantata sang 25 years ago, that said it so well, “Love came down, love that cared so much and touched the world with Christmas, and it will never be the same.” The world changed that first Christmas. A world lost in sin now had the hope of eternal life through Jesus Christ. Will never be the same is what happens to a person who accepts Jesus Christ into their life. Paul says it so well in II Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.” The real message of Christmas is that the birth of Christ ushered in a new era, an era of hope and a bright future for all who accept Jesus Christ into their heart. How wonderful are the words of Luke 2:10-11, “I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” May all of you have a truly Christ centered Christmas.