“And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.” – Luke 2:10
EVERY YEAR, around Christmas time, comes the debate concerning whether Christmas is a Christian celebration. Should it be on our calendar, was it really a pagan holiday? The debate questions whether Jesus Christ was born on December 25.
The fact is, that Jesus Christ was born! St Luke 2 verse 16 tells us that; “they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger”.
When the good news of Christ’s birth was announced, it was by the angels, during an era of hopelessness. It is said that for four centuries, the 400 years of God’s silence, the Jews had waited and wondered, seemingly hopelessly.
But one flicker of hope remained, God’s ancient promise of a Messiah, a Saviour, who would bring peace on Earth, goodwill towards all men. On that first Christmas morn, the angels heralded His coming: “Good news of great joy!”
To those who have accepted Him, He has promised to give joy, peace and everlasting life. Nearly every time an angel appears in the bible, his first words are: “Don’t be afraid”.
While we waste precious time to argue the logistics of the date of His birth, we miss the true meaning of this season, to tell a dying, helpless world, that there is still good news! He was born in Bethlehem, lived for 33 years, changed the lives of thousands and died for the sins of mankind. Thank God, He arose from the dead, and the best news of all is that He is coming back again! Today, He still remains current. He is still changing lives, and bringing hope to a hopeless world!
This year has been very challenging, with the upsurge of terrorism, hostage situations, thousands of deaths due to the epidemic of Ebola and the crippling effects of the Chikungunya outbreak in the Caribbean. We are also facing the ongoing economic gloom and doom, in addition to the retrenchment of thousands of Government as well as private sector employees. Good news seems so distant and out of reach.
In recent days, the world watched the hostage situation in Australia where two persons died, after being held hostage by a man who used religion as the basis for his heinous crime. We also joined with those in Pakistan, who mourned the horrific loss of the lives of 132 innocent, precious children, who have never harmed anyone, but became caught in the crossfire of those who seek not peace, nor reconciliation, but war.
