Chaplains Corner - November 2014

The Meaning:


Christ’s birth was God’s solution to mankind’s biggest problem – the sin of rejecting God. Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden by rejecting their relationship with God. Every person born on earth thereafter was living in the sin of separation from God – everyone except Jesus Christ. He is the only perfect human being, because He is the only one who is both God and man. As the eternal Son of God, He was sent to earth by His heavenly Father to be born of a virgin, grow into manhood, and die on the cross for our salvation. He never ceased being fully God, yet He was also completely human. This was the only way to rescue the human race from eternal condemnation. A sinless and perfectly obedient Son of God had to suffer the sacrificial death penalty for mankind’s sin because no one else was qualified. Only God is perfect, but He cannot die. That’s why the Son of God had to become a man who died in our place in order to restore our relationship with God our heavenly Father.

Can you imagine the joy Mary felt as she looked into the face of her baby Jesus. Can you imagine the rejoicing in heaven when the angels appeared to the shepherds announcing the birth of the long awaited Messiah, the deliverer from sin. However, the full meaning of Christ’s birth remained a mystery. Today the mystery of Christ’s birth is completely revealed in the Scriptures. It explains that Christ came to earth to show God’s great love for mankind, and how we can be reconciled to God. We can be reconciled to God by believing in Him by faith and accepting His sacrifice of His life on the Cross to pay the penalty for our sins. We are then reconciled to God our heavenly Father. The true meaning of Christmas is that He came to earth to provide forgiveness, salvation in this life, and the blessing of eternal life in heaven with God for all who will believe in Christ. (Adapted parts from Pastoral Letter by Charles F. Stanley)

Merry Christmas!

Chaplain John A. Szilvasy