THE greatest gift ever given in this world is God’s gift of His Son, Jesus Christ for the redemption of man in lost condition, in sins, in death, in darkness, under condemnation, under wrath and in the hand of Satan. Christmas then connotes the gift of life, even as Jesus is a life-giving Spirit.
Commemoration and celebration of Christmas therefore marks the end of man’s frustration, hopelessness, as one under the bondage of fear as a result of sin. Jesus is the exact representation and the revelation of God the Father and the embodiment of the triune God, bodily. Scripture says, whoever has Him has life but whoever does not have the Son has no life.
WHICH is why Jesus Christ, the reason behind Christmas, is being celebrated as the Prince of Peace, having made peace between God and man; He has broken down the walls of separation in relationships between men; He is now the Priest and Mediator of the new covenant written not with hands, but in the heart or spirit.
YET, He who is great, mighty, holy and God chose to come down to rescue man. He who is rich in love and mercy came looking for mortal and sinful man, by leaving His glory to lavish His love on mankind. And He came through a manger. He is still going to the manger, places of insignificance for the down trodden or what analysts call the ‘wretched of the earth’. In short, no matter your background, you are a good candidate for His kingdom. You are the reason He came and suffered shame, pain and the cross.
HOWEVER, today, many people have only chosen to join the celebration of Christmas without knowing the Celebrant. They have become followers of the crowd, being in the forefront of the preparation, clothing, food, drinks, partying, dancing name it; but the sad commentary is that Jesus, the Chief Celebrant does not know them! What a pity! They bear the names Faith, Daniel, Joshua, Peter etc. and have become so religious that they follow others to church gatherings; they write or indicate in their curriculum vitae as ‘Christians’. Most people have forgotten the admonition that not all who call Him Lord, Lord without a conscious confession of their sins and of the Lordship of Jesus Christ as Lord over their lives and a continuous covenant walk with the Celebrant to the very end, shall enter His kingdom.
Writer of Hebrew exhorted strongly that hearing the gospel without mixing it with faith will not bring profit to the hearers. Those who hear, believe it and do or practice it are the ones who are blessed. Those who hear but fail to be doers are only deceiving themselves. Faith is simply trusting God that He is trustworthy to do what His word says He will do.
FOR all Nigerians and others, make sure you know the celebrant and He also knows you. Why will you call Him Lord when He doesn’t know you?
