The birth of Jesus Christ was no secret at all. Jesus was born in fulfillment of a prophecy made 700 years earlier.

God spoke through Prophet Micah in Micah 5:2: “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting.” Christmas is a time when Christians all over the world celebrate the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Christians all over the world are celebrating Christmas because Christ has been born into their lives. Christ was born, crucified and resurrected from the dead to redeem man from sin, which is the purpose of His birth and coming into the world. The preaching of the gospel would have made no meaning if Christ was not born and that is why Christians are rejoicing and celebrating His birth.

Christ’s birth is a demonstration of God’s great love. Man fell in the Garden of Eden and fell out of relationship with God, but God did not give up on him. God in His infinite love and mercy allowed His Son to be born of a woman and born into the world to fulfill a mission of redeeming man from sin. It was an expression of God’s love to man. It also signifies God’s faithfulness to mankind in the sense that all through the ages before the advent of Christ, God kept His promise to redeem man, that the seed of the woman shall bruise the head of the serpent and end the problem that Satan brought into the world (Genesis 3:15).

Jesus Christ is the seed of the woman and when He resurrected, He bruised the head of the serpent, the author of sin. By this defeat of Satan, He gave authority to the Church. A lot of things happened to truncate God’s promise to redeem mankind, but God in His infinite power was able to fulfill His promise.

The birth of Christ brought about restoration of lost relationship and fellowship in the Garden of Eden. The fall of man enthroned devil on earth until Christ came and so, the Devil was reigning on earth. Remember that the Devil took Jesus up to the high mountain and was bold enough to tell Jesus that he was in command of everything on earth (Mathew 4:8-10). The reign of the Devil was characterised with sin, satanic afflictions and bondages, conflicts, sufferings and darkness. Jesus came and brought to an end all satanic curses, bondages and afflictions that he had brought upon mankind. That is why Christians have to rejoice for what God did by sending Jesus into the world.

Christmas is a celebration of the great light, which is Christ that God Has brought into the world filled with darkness. Jesus is the light and His birth brought light to those who dwell in darkness, the darkness of sinful life (Isaiah 9:2).

I enjoin you to welcome Jesus into your life so that His birth will make meaning to you. Christmas celebration is for those who have allowed Christ to be born into their hearts. Allow Jesus to reign in your life and become your Lord and Saviour. I urge you to give your life to Jesus for that is the purpose of Christmas.

• Today’s nugget: Jesus is the reason for the season. Prayer: Lord Jesus be born into my life. Prayer lines: 08033299824. E-mail: [email protected]. Rev. (Dr.) Abel Ukachi Amadi, General Superintendent, Assemblies of God, Nigeria.