WHAT IS CHRISTMAS?

What is the FIRST thing that comes into your mind?

A lot depends upon your age, and your experience with Christmas PAST.

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulders and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6

Did you hear the words of Isaiah being sung to Handel's Messiah? I did as I wrote them.


What is Christmas?
To a child, Christmas is Santa Claus. It is a magical time of hoping and wishing and waiting for that special day when gifts will be opened. It is decorating the Christmas tree, making and decorating cookies, singing Christmas carols, giving Christmas cards, seeing the Nativity acted out. It is gift giving and receiving.

As we get older, Christmas becomes Remembering.

Remembering that special gift given or received. Remembering is what Christmas is all about--the gift of the Son of God to a World in need of a Savior.

It is giving a gift to the Savior, that only YOU can give. 

What can I give him

Poor as I am

If I were a shepherd

I would bring a lamb

And if I were a wise man

I would do my part

Yet what can I give Him

Give Him my heart

Christmas is remembering that:

JOSEPH

Was the son of Heli, who lived in Nazareth

Was to marry the daughter of his uncle Jacob

Was to be the husband of Mary, her protector

Was visited by the angel Gabriel and told to marry her, even though she was with child.

MARY

Was the cousin of Elisabeth, who bore John the Baptist

Was a pure and clean vessel, the mother of the son of God

Was a virgin, most beautiful

ELISABETH

Was a witness of the divinity of the Savior, the babe leap within her when Mary came

Was the mother of John the Baptist was from the priestly family of Aaron

SIMEON

Would be a priestly witness of the child's divinity

ANNA

Would be a widow for 84 years before seeing the Savior.

Would be a prophetess of the tribe of Asher

Would also be a witness of the Savior's birth

THE SHEPHERDS

Would be a witness of His divinity by the lowliest of people

THE WISE MEN

Righteous men who saw the star, when others could not. A witness of the wealthy.

Prophecy Fulfilled

More than 700 years ago before the birth of Christ, Isaiah prophesied, Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel."

Christmas is REMEMBERING and teaching our children to REMEMBER the true meaning of Christmas. 

What Christmas traditions have helped your family REMEMBER?

May God bless you all.