I will continue with the last part
of the book of Esther after Christmas.
Christmas is a wonderful time where
Christians adopted pagan celebrations to merge with a celebration of our Lord
Jesus Christ’s birth. It is a special time where the world can be made aware of
the existence of their Saviour and it is good that we have a holiday period and
at least one day a year where most business pauses.
You may, however, know or not know
that Jesus was actually born during the feast of tabernacles, which is in September
each year. Some churches don’t give too much attention to Christmas, but make a
big thing of the Feast of Tabernacles together with the Jews, the LORD’s beloved
nation.
It is just a pity that the awareness
we give the world of Jesus’ coming to earth is mainly taken from the gospels of
Matthew and Luke, telling the story of the baby in a manger, the shepherds and
the wise men who brought three kinds of gifts to Jesus. Although it is a lovely
story and creates a beautiful atmosphere for Christmas, John, the disciple whom
Jesus loved, actually brought us the true Christmas account. Jesus loved John
for the same reason than David was a man after God’s own heart – to John Jesus,
and what He stood for, was everything. This is strongly reflected in his gospel
and letters and this was also the reason why he was chosen to receive the
revelation as recorded in the book of Revelations.
So how did John record the Christmas
message?
John 1:1-17
“In
the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.
Through Him all things were made;
without Him nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life, and that life was the light of men.
The light shines in the darkness,
but the darkness has not overcome it.
There came a man who was sent from
God; his name was John.
He came as a witness to testify
concerning that light, so that through Him all men might believe.
He himself was not the light; he
came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to every man was coming
into the world.
He was in the world, and though the
world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him. He
came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive Him. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His
name, He gave the right to become children of God— children
born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but
born of God.
The Word became flesh and made His dwelling
among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from
the Father, full of grace and truth.
John testifies concerning Him. He
cries out, saying, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has
surpassed me because He was before me.’” From
the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another.
For the law was given through Moses;
grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the
Father’s side, has made Him known.”
Do
we give this Christmas message to the world?
Lord,
thank you for what you came for. Help me to tell the whole Christmas story.
Thank you Lord that your Word went
out from your mouth, via your servant’s pen, and it will not return to you empty,
but will accomplish what you desire and achieve the purpose for which you sent
it.
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benefit by it.
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