A few days ago, I was asked to write about my first ever Christmas message preached. That would have been somewhere around 42 years ago. Many of my early messages have been destroyed, and memory of an exact Christmas message has long faded; after all, how many ways can one speak of the incarnation of Christ and stay true to the Scriptures?
I wrote several days ago concerning my awareness of Jesus’ birth and His presence with me as long as I can remember throughout my life. I knew something of Jesus as far back as I can remember. I knew of His being born in a manger, but I would not understand His pre-birth existence until He brought me into a personal relationship with Him at age 32. The night He brought me into salvation, February 1st approximately 7:45pm in 1978, He indwelled and filled me with His Spirit bringing a new and better life within. I was immediately different. I gained knowledge of Scriptures that I had been blinded against moments before. My mind was set free. I was changing, and I continue being changed.
So, even though I cannot remember exactly what my first Christmas message preached was, I can remember my very first Christmas after being born-again. It was in Bristol Street Baptist Church in Santa Ana, California. By that Christmas, I had been discipled by my Pastor, Norman Ford, for 11 months. I had learned a lifetime of things I was missing about my Savior from this dear Pastor. As I understand, he is still living in Oklahoma.
Approaching Christmas in that church, we had many Christmas hymns performed by our choir along with several songs sung by individuals in our church. Understand, most of these Christmas hymns I was familiar with from a young age. However, each one now had new power and life in my soul. I was moved to a level of emotion that I had not experienced even in my best childhood Christmas. Then, of course, our music director, Charlie Crabtree, put together a grand Christmas Cantata on the Sunday before Christmas, which was Christmas Eve.
This first year of my Christian life, for the first time in my heart and spirit, I could see Jesus from the manger to the Cross in an instant. I could look at the Nativity and see the gathering at His Cross and then the Empty Tomb. Christmas, for me, took on a complete understanding of the why of the Virgin Birth of Jesus Christ into our world in darkness.
“For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)
The only question that remains; have you come to that deep spiritual understanding in your life? You will never have a true Merry, Joy filled, Christmas and Eternity until you do.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!