Pass it On - What Christmas Really Is

At the present time, it is simple to get lost with what it really means to celebrate Christmas with all the mall displays, TV commercials, mall displays and many more that seem to entice us into the notion that Christmas is about all these stuff. Let's face it. Christmas has been struck with commercialism. However, I am certain that you know that we know better than this. Although it is not wrong to give presents, but as believers and followers of Christ, let us pass to our children and their children's children what Christmas really is.

What, then, does Christmas really mean? Reading through Isaiah 11:2, "The spirit of the Lord will rest upon Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord." The Messiah will mirror who God really is, His nature that is. In other words, Jesus, the Messiah, is God's representative while on earth.

After Isaiah's prophecy that a virgin will bear the Messiah, he goes on saying that He will be a descendant of Jesse, from David's ancestry and lineage. The former will be a King just like David.

After knowing who the Messiah is, the next question is: What will happen when He comes? With reference to Isaiah 11:6, "The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the goat, the calf of the young lion and the fatling together. And a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze. Their young ones shall lie down together, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play by the cobra's hole, and the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper's den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea."

The Messiah will bring forth peace to the world. And mind you, this is no little present. To a humanity who got used to fighting for their lands and families, peace is an oasis.

However, it is noteworthy to mention that peace is not reserved for the Jews alone. It is also for the non-Jews, referred to as the Gentiles). Here at Isaiah 11:10 it is said that, "In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his place of rest will be glorious."

When the Messiah comes, He will also bring forth salvation to a world that is lost. Looking at Isaiah 61, you will read more on what the Messiah will do when He comes. He will heal the broken-hearted, preach glad tidings to the poor, offer liberty to the captives and open the gates of prison to those who are bound, comfort all who mourn and proclaim the year of the Lord and the day of the vengeance for God.

Beyond doubt these are wonderful bases in commemoration of Christ's birth. Moreover, they provide us with something deeper, more noble, and more holy to pass on those beautifully wrapped presents under a tree. These are the gifts of eternal and abundant life - the true meaning of Christmas.