Meaning of ChristmasMeaning of Christmas

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Meaning of Christmas


If we're to understand Christmas, who better to ask than Jesus, who came to Earth as a baby over 2,000 years ago?

When we study Scripture, we find many verses that Jesus said about His coming, His birth, which we celebrate at Christmas.

“The reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth.” (John 18:37) What is the truth? That He is the Son of God, sent to save us, give us eternal life and reunite us with God by dying on the cross for our sins and then rising again.

Jesus also said He had come “to seek and to save what was lost” (Luke 19:10) and to call “sinners to repentance.” (Luke 5:32) Who are the lost? Those who don’t know God, who don’t believe in Him. God calls on us to love Him with our entire being and to love others as we love ourselves. To receive God’s grace, His gift of eternal life, we believe in His Son and repent of our sins, asking God to forgive us. Jesus intercedes for us with God. Jesus takes our prayers and presents them to God for us. Because Jesus died on the cross for our sins, God forgives us.

Jesus referred to Himself as the light of the world. "I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.” (John12:46) And "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

That light is linked to life. John said of Jesus, “In him was life, and the life was the light of people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:4-5) Jesus brings eternal life to those who believe in Him. Without that light, we would suffer in eternal darkness. If human beings are to live as God intended, they do it by being in touch with the One who is life and light to them, Jesus Christ.

Christmas is a time when we celebrate the birth of our Savior, the light of the world. But Christmas has a solemn side. For many people, they shun the light of Jesus. Instead of running toward Him, they close their eyes and reject the light.

Where do you fit into the picture of Christmas? Have you accepted Jesus as your Savior and asked him into your heart? Or do you say that you believe, but because you’re more concerned about what people think about you than what God says, you’ve never turned to Christ? Or maybe you’ve seen and heard it all and refuse to be­lieve.

God tells us in the Bible that if people reject Jesus, one day He will reject them—for eternity.

Jesus first came to the world as a baby, and we celebrate His arrival at Christmas. But when He comes again it will be to bring all of those who believe in Him to heaven. He will shine brightly in almighty glory and every man, woman, and child in every nation will see His marvelous light.


The messages and articles below dive deeper into the meaning of Christmas.

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Immanuel God With Us Album Artwork

Immanuel—God with Us

Stuart Briscoe

We often trivialize Christmas and embrace it superficially, but the Christmas story is overwhelming! We can have a fresh start because God sent His son, Immanuel, to rescue us from our sin. The creator of all things left heaven to live with us because He couldn’t bear to be separated from us! If you want to go beyond the familiar story of the baby in the manger to experience a life-changing look at what Jesus’ birth really means for you, listen to this series in which Stuart explains the intimate relationship we are meant to have with Immanuel.

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Jill Briscoe

No Ordinary Child

Jill Briscoe

Jesus was no ordinary child. The book of Hebrews says He was Divinity. He was God Himself, Immanuel—God with us. In this Christmas message, Jill discusses the miraculous birth of Jesus, who Jesus was, and what that means for us.

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Have No Fear

Have No Fear

Pete Briscoe

Pete dives into Luke 2:8-11 in this series to reveal how Christ’s coming should take our fears away. God told us not to be afraid, that the Good News is that Jesus came to be our savior. God loves us, and no matter who you are or what might be weighing you down, there is a place where you can find relief from your burdens.

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Why Christ Came

Why Christ Came

Stuart Briscoe

Is all the activity around Christmas keeping you from experiencing Christmas? Christmas has become so full of sales, parties, and wrapping gifts that it's easy to become distracted from this special time’s true meaning. Have you stopped to reflect on why Jesus came to earth for you, on why the Creator of the world reached down from heaven, through Christ, just for you? In this series, Stuart strips away the distractions and shares four reasons why Jesus came.

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The big shift

Pete Briscoe

The very basics of Christianity really are backwards from what we would expect. We die to live. When we are weak, we are strong...

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Joy Is Jesus

Jill Briscoe

A Christmas poem: Joy is Jesus wrapped in swaddling bands, Joy is Jesus in Mary's loving hands. Joy is Jesus making sorrow sing...

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Watch

Hope for a weary world

Pete Briscoe

Is your soul weary? Discouraged or in pain? Maybe there's conflict in a relationship, you're grieving a loss, or you're struggling with life and can't seem to make it work. At some point, we all need hope for a better, fuller life. But hope alone won’t heal our pain. Jesus came to bring the only solution. Pete takes us through the Christmas story to share the only cure for the world's heartache.

Pondering Christmas

Pete Briscoe

With so many things begging for your attention at this season – a stressful job, a struggling relationship, or big changes – it’s easy to miss the significance of Christ's coming. Pete walks you through Mary's journey to Bethlehem and shares what may have been on her mind as she pondered the coming of her child. You'll learn how to be freed of distractions, reflect on the true beauty of Christ's coming, and experience the significance of Christmas in a way that will impact every day.

What is Advent?

Stuart Briscoe

Stuart goes beyond the dictionary definition of “advent” to show us the significance of this time of year and give us insight into who Jesus is and why He came to earth.

Download your copy of our 25-day Advent Devotional!

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Telling the Truth is the international on-air and online media ministry that distributes the teaching content of uniquely-gifted Bible teachers—Stuart and Jill Briscoe—to help people know Christ and experience Life in all its fullness.

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