Question: "What is the true meaning of
Christmas?" clearly explains how Jesus Christ was born
Answer: The true meaning of Christmas is
love. John 3:16-17 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 5:8).
he historic record of the birth of Christ
can be found in Matthew 1:18-25 and Luke 2:1-
20.
Unlike any other baby, the one born that night
in Bethlehem was unique in all of history. He
was not created by a human father and
mother. He had a heavenly pre-existence
(John 1:1-3, 14). He is God, the Son—Creator
of the universe (Philippians 2:5-11). This is why
Christmas is called the incarnation, a word
which means “in the flesh.” In the birth of
Jesus, the eternal, all-powerful and all-knowing
Creator came to earth in the flesh.
Why would God do such a thing? Why would
he come as a baby, instead of appearing in
power and majesty? Why make himself a true
man and live among us, when he knew full well
how terribly he would be treated?
It was LOVE! It was necessary, if you are to be
saved!
Watch this exciting NEW on-line video which
and why—starting at the very beginning, at the
dawn of Creation…
"At Christmas
A man is at his finest towards the finish of the
year;
He is almost what he should be when the
Christmas season's here;
Then he's thinking more of others than he's
thought the months before,
And the laughter of his children is a joy worth
toiling for.
He is less a selfish creature than at any other
time;
When the Christmas spirit rules him he comes
close to the sublime."
Edgar Guest
"Our hearts grow tender with childhood
memories and love of kindred, and we are
better throughout the year for having, in spirit,
become a child again at Christmas-time."
Laura Ingalls Wilder
"One of the nice things about Christmas is that
you can make people forget the past with a
present."
Inspirational Message
"May you have the greatest two gifts of all on
these holidays: someone to love and someone
who loves you."
John Sinor
"And I, grown old, almost forget
The truths with which I am beset. Upon this
blessed Christmas Eve I, too, in Santa Claus
believe."
Edgar A. Guest
"If I could wish a wish for you, it would be for
peace and happiness
not only now, but for the whole year through!"
Catherine Pulsifer
"May peace be more than a season, may it be
a way of life"
Christmas Message
"Christmas waves a magic wand over this
world, and behold, everything is softer and
more beautiful."
Norman Vincent Peale
Christmas is the time to spread the message of
love, harmony and peace. Of course it is a time
to get showered with gifts and wishes, but in
the midst of all the commercialism, we should
not forget the real spirit of the Christmas. Here
are some of the best inspirational messages
from known and unknown men that reminds us joy a vital part. It's higher thought and a greater
that Christmas is not only about fun and gifts, plan. It's glorious dream in the soul of man.
but of love and generosity. Peterson, The Art of Living

"My idea of Christmas, whether old-fashioned

He who has not Christmas in his heart will
never find it under a tree.
Roy L. Smith
Gifts of time and love are surely the basic
ingredients of a truly merry Christmas.
Peg Bracken
Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a
state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill,
to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real
spirit of Christmas.
Calvin Coolidge
I truly believe that if we keep telling the
Christmas story, singing the Christmas songs,
and living the Christmas spirit, we can bring joy
and happiness and peace to this world.
Norman Vincent Peale
or modern, is very simple: loving others. Come
to think of it, why do we have to wait for
Christmas to do that?"
Bob Hope
"What is Christmas? It is tenderness for the
past, courage for the present, hope for the
future. It is a fervent wish that every cup may
overflow with blessings rich and eternal, and
that every path may lead to peace."
Agnes M. Pharo
Meanwhile, one of my buddies birthday is on
Christmas eve and I have to find some nice
birthday gift for him. I got some useful tips from
a birthday blog and you can check it out too.

Christmas is a necessity. There has to be at

least one day of the year to remind us that
we're here for something else besides
ourselves.
Eric Sevareid

The only real blind person at Christmas-time is

he who has no Christmas in his heart.
Helen Keller

Christmas is the season for kindling the fire of

hospitality in the hall, the genial flame of charity
in the heart.
Washington Irving

There is no name so sweet on earth, no name

so sweet in Heaven,
The name, before His wondrous birth, to Christ
the Savior given.
George W. Bethune

The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree:

the presence of a happy family all wrapped up
in each other.
Burton Hillis

Best of all, Christmas means a spirit of love, a

time when the love of God and the love of our
fellow men should prevail over all hatred and
bitterness, a time when our thoughts and
deeds and the spirit of our lives manifest the
presence of God.
George F. McDougall

Christmas is not in tinsel and lights and

outward show. The secret lies in an inner glow.
It's lighting a fire inside the heart. Good will and
What is the true meaning of Christmas? Why
don't kids today know what the true meaning is,
and are so concerned with how many presents
they are going to get, and getting all the latest
"cool" toys and gadgets?
Of course, Christmas is a holiday that
celebrates the birth of Christ, and was
originally intended to be a religious holiday. It
seems as if this tradition has faded more and
more over the years, and today children
especially are not concerned with its true
meaning; and only concern
themselves with getting as many gifts as
possible, and competing with their friends as
far as the newest and greatest electronic cell
phone or game that they are hoping to receive.
What is wrong with the world today that we are
so money orientated, so greedy and so
materialistic? Unfortunately, these values are
passed on to our children and stay with them
the rest of their lives.
Christmas to me, is about being around those
you love, spending time with loved ones that
you would not normally spend, and enjoying
each other's company to the fullest. Sharing
great meals, decorating trees, and spending
warm and quiet evenings curled up in front of a
beautiful fire. Enjoying the simple things in life,
and realizing what we have to be thankful for is
what we should be focusing on.
Parents of today sometimes spend thousands
of dollars on gifts for their children and teens. It
seems like the things they want keep getting
more and more expensive; but it ridiculous for
parents to cater to what kids "must have" and
risk getting themselves further and further into
debt. It is not worth it! Often times, the kids are
not satisfied because the items they are given
are not "cool" or "tech" enough, and is not what
their friends have.
For all you fellow parents out there, how about
teaching your children the true meaning of
Christmas? Not only to celebrate the birth of
Christ, but to spread good will towards all,
doing something nice for someone else, and to
appreciate the little things in life?
WHAT IS CHRISTMAS?
Christmas is the season during which
Christians everywhere give thanks to God the
Father for the birth of His Son, Jesus Christ.
This joyous cycle begins on December 25, the
Festival of the Nativity of our Lord, more
commonly known in English-speaking
countries as Christmas. Along with Easter and
Pentecost, Christmas is one of the three great
festival days of the church. Christmas is the
climax of a longer liturgical cycle that begins
with Advent, continues after Christmas with
Epiphany and the Sundays that follow, and
ends with Ash Wednesday, the first day of
Lent.
WHAT ARE THE TWELVE DAYS OF
CHRISTMAS?
Christmas is not a celebration that lasts a
single day. Christmas is a twelve-day season
that begins on December 25 and ends on
January 5, the eve of the Epiphany of our
Lord. These "Twelve Days of Christmas" are
in turn part of a longer liturgical cycle that
begins with Advent, continues after Christmas
with Epiphany and the Sundays that follow,
and ends with Ash Wednesday, the first day of
Lent.
WHAT DOES THE WORD "CHRISTMAS"
MEAN?
The modern English word Christmas comes
from the Old English Christes Maesse (Christ
Mass), the name of the service of Holy
Communion that commemorates Christ's birth.
Familiar names for Christmas in other
languages -- Navidad (Spanish), Natale
(Italian), Natal (Portuguese), and Noël (French)
-- are derived from Dies Natalis, Latin for "Day
of the Birth."
WHY DOES CHRISTMAS FALL ON
DECEMBER 25TH?
While Scripture contains many details about
Christ's nativity, it does not record the exact
date of His birth. However, ancient documents
show that the Christian community in Rome
began celebrating the Lord's Nativity on
December 25 starting around the year A.D.
336. No one knows for sure why the early
Roman Christians chose December 25, but the
most widely held explanation is that they
appropriated the already existing winter
solstice festival honoring the pagan sun god,
Mithras. This popular festival was known as
Natalis Solis Invicti or "Birth of the
Unconquered Sun." According to this theory,
Christian leaders in Rome chose December
25th to turn people away from the pagan
Unconquered Sun and toward Jesus Christ,
the Sun of Righteousness (Malachi 4:2). This
connection to the Roman sun cult has led
some contemporary Christians to reject the
celebration of Christian as pagan and sinful.
On the other hand, there is some evidence to
suggest that the choice of December 25 was
based on attempts by early theologians to
calculate the date of Christ's birth. The article
Calculating Christmas by William J. Tighe
discusses in detail this explanation of the date
of Christmas.
WHAT IS THE LITURGICAL COLOR FOR
CHRISTMAS?
White, the color of joy, holiness, and light, is
the proper liturgical color for the Christmas
season. Red, the color of martyrdom, is
generally used for the festivals of Saint
Stephen and the Holy Innocents (see below).
WHAT ARE THE ORIGINS OF SANTA CLAUS
AND THE CHRISTMAS TREE?
The Santa Claus tradition is based on the life
of a Christian bishop of the fourth century,
Nicholas of Myra, whose feast day occurs on
December 6th. Christmas trees seem to have
originated in medieval Germany. These two
are possibly the most popular and recognizable
symbols of our society's non-religious
celebrations during Christmas. The
following excellent articles by Dr. Richard P.
Bucher contain detailed information about
many of the best known secular Christmas
traditions: The Origin of Santa Claus and the
Christian Response to Him, The Origin and
Meaning of the Christmas Tree, and The
Christmas Customs FAQ.
WHAT IS THE TRUE MEANING OF
CHRISTMAS?
Christmas is the church's celebration of the
Incarnation, the supreme mystery that the holy
and almighty God took on human flesh and
was born in this world of the Virgin Mary. God
became one of us in order to die for us and
save us from sin, death, and the power of the
devil. A mystery this profound can't be
contemplated in just one day. This is why the
church pauses during Advent to prepare for the
Lord's coming. This is also why Christmas
extends for a period of twelve days and leads
directly into the breathtaking festival of the
Epiphany, the day and season the church sets
aside to ponder the many ways Christ revealed
Himself to the world as God Incarnate.
Besides Christmas, there are other December
festivals that help believers recall the true
meaning of Christ's birth. The three days
immediately following Christmas Day are
sometimes called Witness Days. December 26
honors Saint Stephen, Deacon and Martyr, the
first Christian to die for his faith (Acts 7:54-60).
December 27 is the Festival of Saint John,
Apostle and Evangelist. John was the disciple
whom the Holy Spirit inspired to write the
gospel lesson appointed for Christmas Day,
the beautiful words that summarize the miracle
of the Incarnation: In the beginning was the
Word, and the Word was with God, and the
Word was God… (see John 1:1-18 for the
complete text). December 28 is a memorial to
the Holy Innocents, the baby boys of
Bethlehem who were murdered by King Herod
in his insane attempt to exterminate the Christ-
child (Matthew 2:16-18). On the surface, these
festivals have little in common with each other
or with Christmas Day. However, each of
these days helps us better understand the true
meaning of Christmas. Saint Stephen willingly
gave up his life to preach the gospel of Christ.
The Innocents of Bethlehem were martyred
without their choice. The apostle John
endured persecution and exile for the sake of
the gospel. These three days remind us that it
is precisely because of the ugliness and
magnitude of our sins that Christ had to be
born in to the world so that he could live, suffer,
and die for all people. The Witness Days also
remind us that the lives of Christians will
sometimes be touched by hardship and misery,
and that Satan and the world are enemies to
the saving message of the gospel. But in spite
of our sins, the devil's machinations, and the
world's sorrow, Christians are able to rejoice in
God's Son, Jesus Christ, born two thousand
years ago in Bethlehem to die for us.
Another special commemoration takes place
on January 1, the Eighth Day of Christmas.
Eight days after the Lord's birth, Mary and
Joseph had Him circumcised as required by
Jewish law. At His circumcision, He was also
formally given the name JESUS (Luke 2:21).
The significance of this day is twofold. First,
circumcision was the visible sign of God's
promise to Abraham and his descendants
(Genesis 17:1-13). In the cutting of flesh and
the spilling of blood, we see a prophesy of
Christ's death on the cross for the sins of the
world and the fulfillment of God's ancient
promise to bless the children of Abraham.
Second, we receive yet another glimpse of the
true meaning of Christmas in the name Jesus,
which means "He saves." As recorded in
Matthew 1:20-21, an angel spoke these words
to Joseph concerning the child that Mary was
carrying in her womb: Joseph… do not fear to
take Mary as your wife, for that which is
conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She
will bear a son, and you shall call his name
Jesus, for he will save his people from their • "And I pray that you, being rooted and
sins. established in love, may have power,
together with all the saints [believers], to
Christmas trees, Santa Claus, decorations, grasp how wide and long and high and
exchanging gifts, and the many other seasonal deep is the love of Christ, and to know
traditions that most of us observe are this love that surpasses knowledge –
wonderful ways for family and friends to mark that you may be filled to the measure of
this time of year. What we must all take care all the fullness of God" (Ephesians
to remember is that these customs, enjoyable 3:18).
as they are, ultimately have nothing to do with
the true meaning of Christmas. The true
meaning of Christmas -- the "reason for the
season" -- is found only in the message of the
gospel. Here it is, so beautifully encapsulated
in John 3:16: For God so loved the world that
He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in
Him should not perish but have eternal life.

Christmas is really about God loving us and

sending us Jesus.

For Christians, celebrating Christmas should

be about remembering and praising God for
what Jesus did for us. Even though He is God,
Jesus was born as a human boy and grew up
to be a man. He was born to ordinary parents
who were not rich or famous, but who loved
God very much. Jesus became a human so He
could die for us on the cross. His death paid
the punishment that we deserve because of
our sins. If we choose to trust in Jesus as our
personal Savior, we can be in Heaven with Him
when we die.

When you celebrate Christmas, remember how

amazing God is! Without Jesus coming into
this world, we wouldn't have a way to be
forgiven for our sins. We wouldn't be able to be
with God when we die. But because He came,
we can have forgiveness and peace. We can
know Jesus as our best friend and the most
perfect Father in the world! When you give and
receive gifts at Christmas, think of ways to
worship God and to show His love to other
people.

Bible Truth

• "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" (John 3:16-17).

• "But God demonstrates His own love for

us in this: While we were still sinners,
Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).