Celebrating Christmas

Some Christians still express their disbelief in the celebration of the birth of Jesus which has been fixed for the 12th month of every year. They rest their disbelief on their inability to see where in the Bible Jesus said that His birth should be celebrated.

I use to relate this to my rigid belief that no Nigerian is qualified to celebrate his/her birthday. My reaction is to ask: What has Nigeria achieved in the last one year that you now want to celebrate? A country that cannot feed itself.

Jesus, however, from His birth to His ascension, did not sin, made no mistake and had answers to all questions and problems. He is a planner and a manager (See Luke 14:28-30 and Mark 8:5-9). His birth therefore deserves celebration.

Really, one’s capacity to see the need for the celebration of Christmas will derive largely from one’s level of anointing. If one is in this realm, one will be able to connect the following reasons with the need to celebrate the birth of Jesus.

First, Jesus is too humble to openly pronounce the celebration of His birth. One can imagine the humility displayed by the environment of His birth.

Two, the missionaries that spread the Good News of Jesus all over the world were compelled by the Holy Spirit to respond to the great commission as in Matthew 28: 19-20 where they were under orders to make disciples of all nations and obey all His commands.

It was these missionaries that instituted the celebration of Christmas. They must have been under the order of the Holy Spirit. The same missionaries composed and circulated the carols and when studied, it would be seen that they are beyond the mortals.

Thirdly, the Old Testament of the Bible is overwhelmed with prophecies on Jesus beginning from Genesis 3: 15 to Malachi 3: 1. The accounts in Psalms 96: 1-3 and 98: 1-3 confirm God’S order that we should celebrate the birth of Jesus. Also, it is recorded in the last verse of the Book of John that Jesus, while on earth in flesh, did so many things that were not recorded.

With our anointing, God will ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to us how to advance in His worship. We are worshipping God when we celebrate the birth of Jesus. No birth like this has ever occurred before and none like this will ever occur again.

What we celebrate therefore is not a particular date for no one knows the exact date Jesus was born. The chosen period is a time to search hearts when we must be fully reminded of the uniqueness of His birth, His resurrection, His ascension, His sending of the Holy Spirit and His second coming. His birth makes demands on our lives because we have to unconditionally surrender to His lordship.

How do we celebrate? The decorated trees and carols are mainly to preach to the unbelievers. The ruggedness and simplicity of His birth are in sharp contrast to wasting money and materials.

We have noted that Jesus is both a planner and a manager; that He is too humble, that our level of anointing will determine the extent that we know, that Psalms 96 and 98 attest to the celebration.