A Savior Has Been Born

With the hustle and bustle of Christmas, even if we demand that people say “Merry Christmas” instead of “Happy Holidays,” we forget the true meaning of the reason we celebrate this day. It’s not about the presents, the greetings, the movies, the music, the food, or even the gathering of friends and family. It is the day that we remember that salvation finally came into the world. Salvation that is a gift if we choose to accept it.

When the shepherds were in their fields and the angel appeared to them, they were told that today, a Savior has been born, which is for all people. Jesus is the greatest gift. He doesn’t demand that we accept Him and his free gift of salvation. He doesn’t guilt shame us if we refuse the gift or take it and are not appreciative of it. Jesus gives it freely. It is not just for the good people. It’s not just for people who go to church. It is for all people.

The question is what will we do with the gift of Jesus? Will we accept it or reject it? The choice is ours. If we accept it, will we be willing to share it with others who need it or just the people that we think are good enough to receive it? Will we accept the gift of Jesus and allow it to change us? Or will we remain the same and demand that everyone around us changes?

These questions are ones that I have pondered for a long time. Once I went back to the basics, I realized that Jesus gives us His gift of salvation freely and it is for us to receive and share with others. There are no strings attached. Once I received the gift, my life changed. It didn’t change because Jesus demanded it, but because the more I followed Jesus I couldn’t help but change. I changed because my life has meaning with Jesus in it. With that meaning, I cannot remain the same. My life changes all the time. I understand that Jesus is a gift for all people. No one is unacceptable of the gift of Jesus. That’s what we taught when He was on earth. It’s what made the religious leaders angry with Him. They demanded that people be perfect before going to God. Jesus gave his gift freely without demands.

This Christmas let us remember that Jesus is the greatest gift as he gives us salvation. It’s not a simple gift. It is a gift that is life changing. May we take the gift feely and share it with those who are in need of Jesus’s gift of salvation. Once we receive this gift of salvation, we will always have a Merry Christmas no matter what is occurring in our lives around us. Have a very Merry Christmas!