Advent - Christmas Time

 

"But God was merciful! We were dead because of our sins, but God loved us so much that he made us alive with Christ, and God’s wonderful kindness is what saves you. God raised us from death to life with Christ Jesus, and he has given us a place beside Christ in heaven. God did this so that in the future world he could show how truly good and kind he is to us because of what Christ Jesus has done." Ephesians 2:4-7

The first Christmas was the appointed time when our heavenly Father showed us how He loves us.

This (Advent) season is the time we remember that in His great mercy at the time He appointed, the Promised Messiah, the Child who would save the world was born.

Happy Holidays/Season's Greetings

Humankind have long tried to take out "Christ" from this season and they came up with other commemorative greetings. This is mostly to appease those who do not believe in Christmas or those who choose not to believe in Christ. Or because we just have to be politically correct. We understand that (that's free will).

The Reason for the Season

But what we shouldn't tolerate is for those professing to be Christians to  not know the real deal about Christmas. And for those who don't know Christ and do want to know Him but cannot do so, or worse are not allowed to.

The Advent Season or the arrival of Christ ushered the way for God to show us (His lost sheep) our way back, by giving us the Good Shepherd in the person of Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ.

Remembering Christmas

We understand that Christ was not even born in the month of December and that the bible does not mention anything about people in the past celebrating birthdays. If it was important, someone would have written about it. 

But Christmas time celebrations were initiated and intended to give non-believers the chance to get to know about the birth of the Messiah as well as to turn them away from  celebrating their old practices. 

People Are People

But humankind being as we are, we have slowly drifted from the real purpose of Christmas -- remembering the goodness of God. 

Instead, we have found new ways and made new traditions to celebrate in lieu of celebrating or remembering Christ -- essentially reverting to our old ways.

Thus we understand why people needed to initiate the Advent celebration and remember the birth of Christ, less we forget.

Advent

This Advent season is not just the time to be good to people, do charitable works, find the best deals or the lowest prices or to feast and to splurge (or to make more money or do business). But of course we could do all these, but only because the Christ has made it possible for us by giving us the freedom (and the opportunities) to, by what He has done. 

We are all free to believe or not to believe in Him but the Advent Season is here for us to have that opportunity to know what Christ and what Christmas is all about.

Merry Christmas.

Advent Series