“King of Kings! Lord of Lords! And he shall reign for ever and ever. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!”
As the fireworks lit up the sky and the familiar tones of Handel’s Messiah rang out through the air I was thankful to be a part of the annual “Light up the Night” celebration this year in Almonte. Standing there and gazing at the lights and listening to the glorious music I couldn’t help but think that this was quite a remarkable tribute to the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Unfortunately for many the trappings of the Christmas season – presents, parties, decorations – seem to take the forefront. But even then the odd time that people dig themselves out of the tinsel and holly the thoughts of the birth might surface as they catch a few notes of a traditional carol or two.
Then there are those Christian groups that take the hard line – “We will not have anything to do with Christmas! It is a pagan holiday!” It has been generally understood for quite some time that the Lord Jesus Christ was not born in December. However, since the birth of Christ is a natural subject at this time of the year why not turn the holiday around as a chance to bring the Gospel to those who do not know?
Wherever you find yourself – recognize this – the birth of the Lord was a pivot point in the history of man. It brought with it the promise of peace and eternal life. The announcement by angels to lowly shepherds, the visit of the Persian Magi almost two years later, and even the attempts by Herod to kill all the children in the Bethlehem area in response to the news of the young king give testimony to the importance of the birth of the Son of God.
Luke 2:10, 11
“And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”
Now let’s take it one or two steps further. The birth without question was one of the most significant events in the history of the world (even the reckoning used by our modern calendar system pays homage to this fact). However, let’s not stop at the birth. A man or woman does not get salvation by believing or accepting the birth of Jesus Christ.
The crux of Christianity is not that the Lord was born, that he lived and was then crucified. The Bible declares that the clear assurance that God gave to man that Jesus was the Messiah was that He raised him from the dead. God requires that man’s response to what He did is to make Jesus Lord and believe that He raised him from the dead. It is this that leads to salvation and eternal life. Believing this simple truth brings promises not only in this life but in the everlasting life that is to certainly follow at the glorious return of the Lord.
“And he shall reign for ever and ever!” The Word of God declares that all those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ will reign with him in glory. Now I know that LCD lights are great but how about eternal glory? Go ahead and enjoy the birth and whatever pageantry you decide you want to go along with it. However, if you haven’t done so yet – make sure you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe that God raised him from the dead. The Scriptures guarantee that this will light up not just one night each year – but every single day of the rest of your life – here and in the hereafter. Merry Christmas.