NOTE: God’s Word Shines is a ministry of the Pee Dee Baptist Association. The writer this month is Rev. Bert Petty of Pleasant Grove Baptist Church.

We have finished decorating our house for Christmas…. decorating the trees, placing the garland in the right place, and putting up the manger scene in the front yard. Before long, the Christmas parties will start, and the whole month will blast by so fast that you’ll be singing “should old acquaintance be forgot.” The month will be over, and we will be starting a new year.
Christmas is a great time of year, but it can also be a difficult time of year for some people.
Some people are lonely, some have relationships that have been severed or damaged during the year, some are missing those who have passed away, and some do not have family or cannot afford to travel to see them for Christmas. Whether you are struggling or not, Christmas is a time of hope and joy!
After the Baby Jesus was born, there were “shepherds living out in the field keeping watch over their flocks by night.” Now, they did not have lights like we have today. It was really dark at night except for the light from the fire. Suddenly “an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.” Then the angel said, “Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born this day in the city of David, a Savior who is Christ the Lord.”
Before I was saved, I did not understand the meaning of Christmas and why Christ came. I want to explain this to you. When there were only two of us on the face of the earth, Adam and Eve, they only had one command that they were to follow. The command was not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:16-17). If you read those verses you will see that from every other tree in the garden “you may freely eat.” Most of us know what happened. Satan, in the form of a serpent, deceived Eve, and they both ate of the forbidden fruit. They sinned against God and were kicked out of the Garden of Eden. This is called “the fall of man” which resulted in death of men, sickness, struggle, thorns, great labor in childbirth, and also all of creation being affected in a negative way.
Later, God gave us the Ten Commandments and, just like our original parents, we cannot keep them either. Just think about number nine (9). If you have told one lie, you have broken the ninth commandment.
The point is that we are sinners separated from God by our sins, “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23).
Jesus was born as a baby and came to give all people a chance to have the free gift of eternal life and to defeat death. Jesus was born in a humble setting, in a stable or cave where animals were kept. But there is great significance in His birth. He was born of the Virgin Mary and of the Holy Spirit. When Mary was told by the angel she would have a child, she said, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” “And the angel answered and said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore, also that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God’ “ (Luke 1:35). The point is that Jesus is a one of a kind – He is fully Man and fully God.
Jesus had to be fully man to fulfill the law for us (Matthew 5:17). And Jesus had to be fully God to take the payment for our sins on the cross. Jesus, unlike us, never sinned. He gave His life on the cross and shed His blood to be the substitute for the sins of all mankind (1 John 2:1-2). And, Jesus was raised from the dead on the third day, proving He had defeated death and that He is the Son of God. Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross gave all of us a chance to be reconciled to God through Him.
But to receive this gift, we must see that we are sinners, be willing to turn or repent of our sins
(Acts 3:19), and place our faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior (Romans 10:9-10). If you do this, the blood of Christ will wash your sins away, and the Holy Spirit will come to live in your heart, and you will receive the free gift of eternal life. A prayer of salvation: Lord Jesus, I believe that you died for me on the cross and were raised on the third day. I turn from my sins, and I place my faith in You. I ask You to come into my heart.
As you are giving and receiving gifts this year, remember: Jesus is the greatest Gift given to all mankind. Jesus is the reason for the season! Also, if you are a Christian, Christmas is a great time to minister to those who are having a difficult time.
God bless you. Have a great Christmas!