The last article reminded us sternly about the way the world celebrates Christmas in a very consumerist way. It is not that buying gifts for your loved ones in itself is a bad thing to do for Christmas – in fact, I think such tradition can be a great thing to do given we are now living in a hyper-individualistic society that cares more about the self than others. But the problem is the fact that the true meaning of Christmas becomes lost in the splendour of the holiday festivity.

Don’t go into the extreme and assume that Christians are not allowed to be joyful during Christmas. Christmas is a time to rejoice, but Christian joy in Christmas time is much more weightier, as the day has a significant meaning for us. In this article, we will go to the Scripture and learn about the meaning of Christmas, and see how that meaning should become the foundation of the true joy of this holiday season.

The Birth of THE King

“For a child has been born for us; a son has been given to us. And the dominion will be on his shoulder, and his name is called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His dominion will grow continually, and to peace there will be no end on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and sustain it with justice and righteousness now and forever. The zeal of Yahweh of hosts will do this” (Isaiah 9:6-7).

At the heart of Christmas is the story of the coming of our King, Jesus Christ. You may read the last sentence and say, “Well it’s obvious, isn’t it?” After all, even some unbelievers put up their Nativity sets on their Christmas decorations because they also know that Christmas is about the birth of Jesus Christ.

But for Christians, the birth of Jesus Christ has a deeper and more significant meaning that should ground the joy we have for the Christmas season. For one, the birth of Jesus Christ was not just a birth of any random figure, but it was the birth of our King.

I remember watching TV back in July 2013. I was tuning in to the news about the birth of Prince George – the son of Prince and Princess of Wales. As he would be the next person in the succession line to the British throne after his father (who, at the moment of writing, is the next person in line to be the king after King Charles), his birth was significant. Prince George will be the future king of the United Kingdom.

I remember the scene on the TV so vividly. Even before the prince was born, a lot of British people were camping and lining up for hours outside the hospital because they were so eager to see the future king. When the Prince and Princess of Wales came out of the hospital carrying the newborn prince, people cheered and even cried joyfully at the sight of the baby.

If the people of the world were so joyful to see the birth of their future king, how much more should we, as Christians, rejoice at the birth of our King? And Jesus Christ is not just any king, He is THE King. As Colossians 1:16-17 puts it: “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities – all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” Jesus is the maker and upholder of all things in the universe. He is the King of creation. 

The King Who Came to Serve – Not to be Served

But if He is the King of all kings, why did He come to the world in the first place? Well, the Bible tells us clearly that the birth of Christ was not a surprise or a random act of God. In fact, there is a clear purpose as to why He came into this world in the first place. The coming of Christ had been foretold as early as the beginning of creation (Gen 3:15). And throughout the Old Testament, God’s prophets had foretold the coming of the Messiah (i.e.: Jer 23: 5-6; Isa 7:14). So the story of Christmas is not a story of surprise, but one of fulfillment. 

Just as it had been foretold that the Messiah would come into this world, the purpose of His coming had also been foretold. For example, the prophet Isaiah had prophesied the death of Jesus Christ. In Isaiah 53:5, it is said that “… he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.” Later on, the writer of Hebrews wrote, “since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death – that is, the devil – and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death” (Hebrews 2:14-15; emphasis added).

That means, then, that Jesus Christ was born into this world to die for our sake. It was not that Jesus Christ came into this world and took the form of man, and His death came along the way as His life progressed. No. On the contrary, it is clear that the Bible tells us that Jesus Christ came into this world so that He would die. Hence, it is why Jesus said in Matthew 20:28 that “the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

His death was the goal of His coming. Without His death in the picture, the birth of Christ would not exist. If His death was taken out from the story, His birth would have no significant meaning for His people.

But what does it mean for us, then? For His people, we rejoice in Christmas because the story of Christmas tells us the story of God’s faithfulness. The joy in celebrating Christmas comes from knowing that the King, Jesus Christ, was born into this world, as an act of His great love for us, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).

The story of Christmas, then, brings us joy because it gives us hope for our own lives. Just as God promised to send Jesus to save us from our iniquities, He promises to be with us now through the presence of the Holy Spirit. And just as Jesus had come the first time, we can hope on His promise that He will come again. And He who promised is faithful (Hebrews 10:23).

The Demand of Christmas for Christians

Let me end the article with a call for all of us. Now that we know the foundation of our joy for Christmas, don’t just leave and keep the joy for ourselves. There are still a lot of people who do not know the Gospel. And if they’ve never heard the Gospel, they are walking to the path of destruction.

Let’s share this joy that we have with others. Friends, colleagues, and family members, they all need to hear the good news. And if it is not us who sow the seed, who would it be? We don’t have to become radical and bombard them with Scriptures everyday and say “Believe or perish!” to them. But we can start small by inviting them to come to our Christmas celebration, or give them a Christian book that can pique their interest to hear about Jesus Christ as a Christmas gift. Perhaps, share a little bit about the Scripture in your Christmas greeting card. 

As Ecclesiastes 11:6 said, “sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let your hands not be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well.” Keep sowing that seed faithfully and prayerfully, for we trust in the Lord that as He has opened our hearts to be receptive to the Gospel, He too, can open the hearts of our loved ones to the good news this Christmas time.