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| From the program
aired the weekend of Dec. 22nd & 23rd, 2007: |
This program was our annual Christmas special,
"A Gospel Christmas 2007."
Here are a few random thoughts that I shared on that broadcast:
Christmas is a time of hope! In the Old Testament (Psalm 119)
the Psalmist speaks to God, saying, "You have given me hope." In the New
Testament, that "hope" is further identified as Christ — as in the very
first verse of first Timothy where the Lord is clearly called "our Hope."
Christmas is when we celebrate that time when that "hope" — foretold
by the prophets long ago — took on human form. "Hope" became....tangible!
Christmas is a time of joy! It's always been that way. The very
first Christmas found angels announcing what they called "good tidings of
great joy." Much later, Christ Himself said the things He spoke were so that
"your joy might be full." In fact, all of Scripture is about joy — with
the words "joy" or "rejoice" or related words appearing more than 400 times!
Christmas reminds us of Calvary. Christmas marked the time and
the place in history where God put into effect His plan for the salvation
of a fallen race. Calvary marked the time and the place in history where
the sin debt was paid. Christmas would have been meaningless without Calvary.
Christmas without Christ IS meaningless. John 3:17 reminds us that God sent
His Son so that the world through Him might be saved. That's why He came.
That's why He — for a time — gave up the glory He enjoyed in heaven.
He did it for you. He did it for me.
This Christmas, amid all of the excitement of your family traditions, remember
— and cherish — the birth of Christ and the salvation He brought
to (and bought for) the world — the true meaning of Christmas.
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