“Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins - 1 John 4:10

Christmas is here again. It is a season of fun, merriment and sharing of gifts among families and friends. I also celebrate this season with you – COMPLIMENTS OF THE SEASON! Every year during this period, precisely on 25th December, 2018, most people celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Why must we celebrate or observe that day? Some have argued that Christmas is a pagan celebration of the sun god, and that Jesus was never born on December 25. That argument underscores the purpose and the spirit of the season. Rather, the question should be; who is Jesus, and why should the world celebrate Him on December 25? When Jesus was to be born to us on earth, his birth was first celebrated by praises; for the angels and the heavenly hosts praised God saying; “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill towards men” - Luke 2:14. This is because; something far from the ordinary happened – THE WORD OF GOD, WHICH IS GOD, TOOK FLESH AS JESUS. This is a case of God’s word becoming man in order that through Him, we might be reconciled with God. The reconciliation was very important because man had sinned and got separated from God. The WORD is an integral part of God in Heaven. He is also called the ONLY BEGOTTEN SON OF GOD. He created the whole world, and provides the glue which continues to hold the world together. The way to reach God is through His WORD – HIS SON. Every truth about life rests with the SON. The power of LIFE and DEATH also rest with the SON who is also the WORD of God. If not for the birth of Christ, man would die of sin and darkness would envelop the world. The scripture reminds us today that God loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. The Christmas season therefore is a period for a sober reflection on the gift of Jesus Christ to the whole world. If not for the birth of Christ, the world would remain in darkness till date, and the hearts of men would be turned off completely from the realm of light and the truth about God would be hidden from us. Christ who is also the WORD of God has always been associated with the LIGHT of God. Hence the scripture says; “In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.…” – John 1:4-5. The scripture also says, “The TRUE Light who gives light to every man was coming into the world” John 1:9.Therefore, the WORD of God who is also the Christ gives us light – in our soul as well as in our world. .

Through the WORD of God, we have both physical and spiritual light. The Light of Christ also gives us the light of true knowledge and wisdom. For this reason therefore, Luke 11:36 says, “So if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it in darkness, you will be radiant, as though a lamp were shining on you." What a great sacrifice God made for us, and what a great sacrifice Jesus made for us! They both gave us the light of truth that leads to eternal life (Ref; John 3:16), and the LIFE that gives abundant wealth here on earth (Ref: John 10:10; John 1:4-5) How much love have you shown to others since you were born? Better still, how much love are you willing to give during this season? Can you sacrifice what you love most to help to save others? Christmas is a period of a sober reflection on the indescribable love of God to humanity. In these last days, the world is greatly troubled due to disease, ignorance and poverty. Your help is needed to help restore harmony to a broken world. Are you ready to heal the world by sacrificing what you love most? To demonstrate love and pure affection is to make sacrifice for the sake of others and to show mercy when it is most difficult to do so. The word of God today reminds us about how we sinned and deserved to die, but that God bent the rules by showing mercy through the sacrifice of HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON in order that we might have life eternal. So if God did that for you, what are you ready to give to others? Beloved, remember there is nothing you can do for God to pay for the gift of Jesus Christ, other than to carry on the work of mercy and charity. Therefore, we celebrate Christmas for two reasons: ONE – To thank God for His love and the gift of life eternal through Jesus Christ. TWO – To remind us of the need to show love and give willingly to others who need us to survive death. We must try at all times, especially during this period to bring the dying back to life. This is a season of pure love and stainless affection.
Merry Christmas beloved!!!