(All Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version of the Holy Bible).
During the Christmas season of each year, we Christians from all over the world celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Why is observing Christ’s birth so significant? In the gospel of Luke, an angel of the Lord declares that His birth is glad tidings of great joy to all people, when he (the angel) appeared to the shepherds as they tended to their flock of sheep in the fields of Bethlehem (Luke 2:8-11). The good news of the Lord’s birth is a gift of knowledge of God’s glory for all people in the world who believe in Him.
God is the Divine Word from the beginning of time and the true Light that gives life to all people coming into the world to believe. But the world did not know him. He even came to His own people, but they did not receive Him. This is because the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend the Light (John 1:1-11). Satan, known as the god of this age to rule the world, blinded the people of the world by veiling the light of Christ, who is the image of God, so it would not shine on them, causing them to perish in darkness. But God commanded the light to shine out of darkness to shine in our hearts to give us the light of knowledge of His glory in Jesus Christ’s face (2 Corinthians 4:3-6).
No one has ever seen God at any time until He took on human form through the Incarnate Jesus Christ and dwelt among His people, beholding His glory. Coming from the Father’s bosom, Jesus, God’s only begotten Son, declared Him (John 1:14,18). Therefore, Jesus is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation (Colossians 1:15), the brightness of God’s glory, and the expressed image of His person (Hebrews 1:3). And John wrote in his first epistle, “By this [we] know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come into the flesh is of God (1 John 4:2). As a result, our soul should magnify the Lord, just as Mary’s (Jesus’ earthly mother) when she conceived Him in her womb in the gospel of Luke (1:46).
Like a multitude of angels praised God, saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men,” when they suddenly appeared with the angel who proclaimed Christ’s birth to the shepherds in the field (Luke 2:13-14), may we Christians celebrate Christmas to commemorate Jesus Christ’s birth by praising Him with the following Psalms throughout the season:
- “O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth, who has set Your glory above the heavens (Psalm 8:1,9).”
- “Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let Your glory be above all the earth (Psalm 57:5, 11, 108:5).”
In conclusion, since Jesus Christ is the reason for the holiday season, may we all give glory due to His name (1 Chronicles 16:29, Psalm 29:2). Blessed be His glorious name forever! And let the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen and amen (Psalm 72:19)—Kenneth Sullivan.