Amidst hectic pace of holidays don’t forget true meaning of Christmas

Posted 26 December 2019 at 10:42 am

Editor:

It was so pleasant to read Bob Confer’s editorial as well as The Daily News account of the first Christmas published on Christmas Day, that I wanted to add a similar reflection on the true meaning of Christmas, which is so often lost in today’s hectic world:

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

Many today no longer believe in God or recognize his son Jesus Christ, but it is important to remember this truth. Ages ago, God the Father sent to earth his only son Jesus to this earth to be born and grow up to be a man and live among us so he would know us and understand our grief and sorrows and the difficulties  and temptations of life we so often face.

Despite this act of love, this son was despised and rejected by mankind. He often would be by himself all night as he prayed for us, then grow weary during the day as he healed, fed and gave of himself to the very ones who hated him. He owned nothing and often did not have a place to lie down and rest at night.

In the end, this son sacrificed his life as a ransom for the very people who were putting him to death. As he hung on a cruel cross, he even asked his father to forgive them for not realizing what they were doing. That sacrifice was for all mankind, even us today. It was designed to redeem all people from the curse of sin in our lives.

God the father looked down from Heaven with sorrow as he saw his infant son lying in that manger in Bethlehem, knowing he would soon grow up to die. How many of us would be willing to make that sacrifice of our own child or of our own life for someone else?

As we have busied ourselves with the preparation and celebrating of Christmas, do we really understand why we are even remembering this day? Let us try to understand the connection between the manger and the cross, and repent from our sins and accept the sacrifice of Jesus’ blood for each of us personally. Only then will we understand the true meaning of Christmas!

This is my prayer for all of you.

Wayne Lemcke

Waterport