The True Meaning Of Christmas Is Love
Elias Bejjani
December 25/15
Christmas simply means, love and Fatherhood, Equality and modesty, Sacrifice and forgiveness.
Love and Fatherhood: Almighty God Is Our Father and that’s why He created us in His image and likeness.
Modesty and Equality: Jesus Christ, the begotten God was born in a manger to be a role Model in Modesty & Equality.
Sacrifice and Forgiveness: Almighty God has sent His begotten son to be humiliated, tortured, persecuted and crucified in a bid to absolve our original sin and to be a role model in love and sacrifice.
The true meaning of Christmas is love. (John 03:16-17) says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” The true meaning of Christmas is the celebration of this incredible act of love. The real Christmas story is the story of God’s becoming a human being in the Person of Jesus Christ. Why did God do such a thing? Because He loves us! Why was Christmas necessary? Because we needed a Savior! Why does God love us so much? Because He is love itself (1 John 4:8). Why do we celebrate Christmas each year? Out of gratitude for what God did for us, we remember His birth by giving each other gifts, worshipping Him, and being especially conscious of the poor and less fortunate. The true meaning of Christmas is love. God loved His own and provided a way—the only Way—for us to spend eternity with Him. He gave His only Son to take our punishment for our sins. He paid the price in full, and we are free from condemnation when we accept that free gift of love. “But God demonstrated His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 05/08). (Got.Question.org)
Understanding and fully practising the above faith pillars makes us the kind of holy God’s children that He wants us to go back to His heavenly homes that He Himself built for us. The Holy Bible teaches us to be love care, help, and forgive every one, but in particular those who hate, harm, betray and curse us. “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 05:44) .In this context let us on this Holy Christmas Day, Pray For all the evildoers and all those who fell prey for temptations. Let us offer our authentic and honest prayers for the repentance and salvation of all sinners
Let us pray for those evil and wicked world leaders, rulers, politicians, fundamentalists and outlawed militants whose devastating culture of greed and vicious acts of terrorism are threatening peace and tranquility all over the world, and especially in the Middle East.
Apostle Paul in his Letter to the Romans speaks about these evil people and describes thoroughly their thinking and conduct (Romans 03/10-18): “As it is written, ‘There is no one righteous; no, not one. There is no one who understands. There is no one who seeks after God. They have all turned aside. They have together become unprofitable. There is no one who does good, no, not, so much as one.Their throat is an open tomb. With their tongues they have used deceit. The poison of vipers is under their lips; “whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood. Destruction and misery are in their ways. The way of peace, they haven’t known. There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
One might wonder why we should pray and particularly on the Christmas Day for those that are creating world-wide havoc, advocate grudges and hatred, classify us as infidels, allege we are their worst enemies, call openly for our death, and proudly legitimize our slaughter? The answer is very simple. We should pray for them because they are lost, evil, morally sick and need our help. Jesus has already answered this question in (Matthew 09/12 & 13): “Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but those who are sick do. But you go and learn what this means: I desire mercy, and not sacrifice, for I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”.
The faithful and righteous have an obligation to love their enemies and forgive them as well as to bless those who hate, persecute and curse them. Luke 6:28: “bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” The secret and magic formula word in all this holy cycle of forgiveness, meekness, patience, endurance and acceptance of others is LOVE, and as the bible teaches us LOVE is GOD. (Proverbs 19:11): “A man’s wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense”.
Apostle Paul in his First Letter to the Corinthians explains what love is and what it encompasses: (01 Corinthians 13/4-13): “Love is patient and is kind; love doesn’t envy. Love doesn’t brag, is not proud, doesn’t behave itself inappropriately, doesn’t seek its own way, is not provoked, takes no account of evil; doesn’t rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 1 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will be done away with. Where there are various languages, they will cease. Where there is knowledge, it will be done away with. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part; but when that which is complete has come, then that which is partial will be done away with. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I felt as a child, I thought as a child. Now that I have become a man, I have put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, even as I was also fully known. But now faith, hope, and love remain—these three. The greatest of these is love.”
If we love those who love us, help those who do not need help, pray for those who are righteous, and feed those who are not hungry, we do nothing different from anybody else including the sinners and wicked. But when we can tame ourselves to love those who hate us and help those who need help, than we are making something different. (01 Samuel 24:17): “You are more righteous than I, he said. You have treated me well, but I have treated you badly.”
Almighty God loves us, we His children, and wants us to return back to His heavenly mansions that have been prepared for us. Therefore, He has sent His begotten son to be humiliated, tortured, persecuted and crucified in a bid absolve our original sin and be a role model in love and sacrifice.(John15/12 & 13) “This is my commandment, that you love one another, even as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends”
With the Christmas Spirit let all genuinely pray for those of us who are hurt, lonely, feel betrayed and deserted by their beloved ones. Those who are enduring in silence pain, anguish, and are deprived of happiness, warmth and joy on this holy and adorned day.
Let us all take Jesus a role model in our lives. Let us learn from Him the graces of forgiveness, sacrifice, love and the obligation for helping those who need our help and even those who hate and hurt us. Romans 12:20: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”
May God Bless you all and shower upon you, your families, friends, and beloved ones all graces of joy, health, love, forgiveness, meekness and hope. (01 Thessalonians 05:15): “Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else”.
Let us all to pray for the salvation of our beloved country of Lebanon and ask Almighty God to lead and bless the peace endeavours of righteous politicians and leaders all over the world.
On this Christmas Day may Jesus Christ, God of love, justice and mercy, dwell in your hearts, minds, souls and conscience to purify you and lead your steps into righteousness.
