by Ed Ostrom

Created on: September 12, 2008   Last Updated: October 31, 2008

I am sitting here in September, realizing that Christmas is only two and half months away. Soon we will be looking into the Wish Books. We will be planning the Christmas Baking and preparing for the guests and all the festivities that go along with the Season. But in the midst of all of the hustle and bustle of the Season we need to remember "Jesus is The Reason for The Season." He is the reason we celebrate the Christmas Season. He came as God's gift to mankind... That is why the Apostle Paul declares "Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift!" (2 Corinthians 9:15).

Tonight as I spend times turning the windmills of my mind reflecting on the gifts of Christmas brought to our world. I believe that Christmas brings us these gifts:

1. When Christ came on that first Christmas He brought light where there is darkness. In John 3: 16 -21 we read: For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through Him might be saved. He that believes on Him is not condemned, but he that does not believe is condemned already because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. For everyone that does evil hates the light neither comes to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that does the truth comes to the light that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought." Jesus said in John 8:12 "I am the light of the world; he that follows me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life." When Jesus came that first Christmas He brought light where there was darkness.

2. When Christ came on that first Christmas He brought hope where there was hopelessness. Jeremiah 17:7 declares: Blessed is the man that trusts in the Lord and whose hope the Lord is." David declared in Psalm 16:9 "Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices; my flesh shall also rest in hope." Ephesians 2:12 says " That at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise having no hope and without God in the world." Christ brought hope where there was hopelessness.

3. When Christ came that first Christmas He brought freedom where there was bondage. Psalm 107:10 says "Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron." Paul declares in Galatians 5:1 "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage." John 8: 32 declares "And you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free! John 8:36 adds : He who the Son sets free is free indeed!"

That first Christmas Jesus Christ came to earth as God's gift to mankind When He came He brought with Him light where there was darkness; hope where there was hopelessness and freedom where there was bondage, "Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift!" (2 Corinthians 9:15).

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