December 2022

As I write these words, the Christmas “season” is well under way. For several weeks, there have been Christmas ads popping up everywhere, the promotion of online shopping, Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals, and Christmas movies being aired around the clock. By now, Christmas trees and decorations are on full display, adorning businesses, streets, parks, lawns, and our homes. As we come to this time each year, I can’t help but wonder how many people who are celebrating Christmas actually understand and appreciate what they are celebrating. Even more concerning to me is how many Christians get caught up in the promotional celebra- tion of Christmas and lose sight of the true meaning.

The true meaning of Christmas is found in Jesus and Him alone. In Matthew 1:21, the angel instructed Joseph, “Thou shalt call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins.” The name Jesus is not a complicated name, it simply means “Savior.” What the world needed two thousand years ago was the Savior, and God provided “His only begotten Son” to save and redeem lost mankind. Today, in our

high-tech and sophisticated world, the greatest need is people still need the Savior. The difference between then and now is that then, Jesus was physically born into this world in a stable in Bethlehem, lived a sinless life, and died a voluntary sacrificial death on the cross so that every person, everywhere, of all ages could be saved. Today, however, Jesus longs to be spiritually born again into the hearts of those who are lost and have never experienced a personal relationship with Him. So this year, as we celebrate Christmas, let us not forget that we are celebrating the birth of Jesus, “the Savior of the world.”

Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year from Marcille and me! We are so blessed to serve you!

Bro. Wendell Matthew 1:21