Day 2: CELEBRATE the Gift of Jesus
The Birth of Jesus is one of the most symbolic and prolific (abundant) messages that is preached today. Symbolic in meaning that every year we celebrate Christmas, which symbolizes Jesus’s birth. And prolific in meaning for a whole month every pastor preaches to the church congregation, “BEHOLD, THE SAVIOR IS BORN!” You have probably heard the message about Jesus’s birth so much that you know more about Jesus’s birth than your own.
So the question I pose to you is how do you celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ? Do you just acknowledge that Christmas is the day of Jesus’s birth? Or do you celebrate and praise God saying something like “Praise be to God the Father, who has sent his to be our savior.” The problem with hearing the same message so much is that if we forget to always celebrate it than we lose the joy we first had when we first heard it. Think of it like this, remember when you got that “one gift” that you begged for Christmas. Remember when you first opened it and how much joy you had. Okay, let’s now fast forward to next Christmas. Are you still jumping up and down about that gift? Did you still experience joy when you play with it? Most likely you are looking forward to another gift. You completely forgot about it.
Checkout one of the ways God announced the Gift he was bringing here: Luke 2:9-14
When Jesus was born, “an angel of the Lord appeared to [the shepherds living out in the field nearby] and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of [Bethlehem] a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord…Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host (a whole bunch of other angels) appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.’” (Luke 2: 9-14)
The angel said it was “good news of great joy.” So where is your joy upon hearing the news that Jesus Christ has been born? Guys, this was such good news that other angels joined the angel and they began praising God. Our praise and worship should never end when we hear this news. The angel didn’t say this is “good news of great joy [but your joy will fade overtime].” No, the message of Jesus’s birth is and always will be “good news of great joy.” If it is no longer good news of “great joy” than you stopped celebrating it. Your celebration has been replaced with just acknowledgement of it.
Here is a tell-tell sign that your celebration has become acknowledgment: What excites you the most about Christmas? Is it the gifts? The family? The board games? The basketball games? The food? All of those can be exciting and should be, but what should get you out of bed on Christmas morning should not be what gifts you got from Santa, but the gift that God gave us, which is his son Jesus Christ.
Today’s Challenge:
My challenge for you guys is to take five minutes out of your day and thank God for Jesus. Your praise can be about his birth or his resurrection. Guys, our joy for God’s good news of his son was never supposed to fade. We let it happen when we forget to praise him and celebrate his son Jesus Christ.
Go to DAY 3: See the Gift of Jesus here.
Champion Builders 