Christmas is a great celebration. Many understand the reason for the joy of Christmas, but a few understand less about the reason and significance of this season. For them, it’s essentially about Christmas gifts, Santa Claus, Christmas cake, eating, drinking, and making merry.

Christmas is a time to rejoice in our hearts and lives. Christmas brings rivers and oases of freedom, light, hope, and love—all because Jesus was born among us. Situations of slavery, darkness, hopelessness, and hatred break down, as Jesus is born into our lives.

Some may argue that slavery and darkness are not as prevalent as they once were. But when we think about how many are hooked on social media, drugs, careers, pornography, and many other matters, we realize that all these point to a greater extent of slavery and darkness. People are visibly free, yet many become slaves!

This blog post will help you find reasons for celebration from within your heart. When you rejoice within, you get renewed and refreshed, and everyone around you becomes truly happy.

In the Christmas season, many don’t go beyond the exterior. They have forgotten about rejoicing within, within the heart. Without the heart and the mind knowing the significance of Christmas, it is a short-lived and shallow celebration.

It’s a pity that God’s very children live like slaves—slaves to wrong habits, misconceptions, wrong thoughts and beliefs. Although they know what they do does not benefit them, they continue living the same way. They perhaps know that it even destroys them. Some have even seen friends, neighbours, celebrity lives being cut short. Lives which had good potential, cut short as people gave themselves to being slaves to various negatives.

Jesus Christ, was sent to the earth with the intent of giving freedom to us who believe. Jesus gave up his life on the cross – a price he willingly paid as it was his Father’s will for Him.

Christmas, the birth of Christ was the first step in a life with signs, wonders, and miracles. Do you know that Jesus was born of a virgin? A rare kind of miracle that had never ever happened before. God’s purposed all this. Jesus did not inherit the sin nature from Adam, as he was not born from man. As Jesus was born from God, he was pure, without sin.

The life of Jesus ultimately took him to the cross. He went to the cross willingly, because he willed to do His father’s will. All who accepted Jesus received eternal life. A huge reason to rejoice and celebrate in the birth of Jesus.

Many religious leaders, other authorities who were meant to help people, did not do so. They suppressed people under the pretext of religious laws which they themselves did not observe.

The people who carried the burden of the 600+ laws were voiceless and suffering until Jesus came to the scene. Jesus changed everything, everything that could not be imagined and dared, he came against it. Jesus spoke directly, he spoke to the face. He did the Heavenly Fathers will, without fear.

Jesus liberated the people from the bondage to the law and gave them the freedom to follow it in spirit. Jesus turned the tables upside down. He redefined who was a neighbor, reminded that the sinner needs the saviour, the extreme value of a repentant heart. Jesus brought light and understanding to situations.

He brought light to all dark circumstances. Doing the heavenly father’s will was his nourishment. Whatever he did, he did as a man of authority and power. God was and is with Him always. When light stepped in, darkness had to flee. All this started with Christmas.

How many of you are hopeless? Some may be totally hopeless. Others are hopeless in certain aspects alone. But the birth of Jesus changed all that.

Mary Magdelen was oppressed by many demons and was a wreck. When Jesus spoke, “Fear not” every voice of the enemy’s intimidation was silenced. Peace descended upon her. Hope filled her life. She became a totally new person.

The man of Gadarene’s – a wild aggressive man infested with many demons. He gained his freedom. Peace returned to him with an encounter with Jesus. Freedom and peace can be your portion irrespective of what has filled your mind when you encounter Jesus.

Zacchaeus, the corrupt tax collector, was up the tree probably as he felt threatened by the people he exploited. Probably he was also too short to see the celebrity Jesus who was passing the city. Zachariah was zapped when Jesus called out his name, singling him out.

Zacchaeus heart was filled with sorrow from guilt of doing the wrong.The very presence of Jesus transformed his heart. He chose to give money to every family in the village from whom he had literally stolen. Jesus knew who should be touched so that the whole village received a financial bonanza.

People gained freedom from greed with an encounter with Jesus. Authorities and soldiers became righteous after their encounter with Jesus. Exploitation and unrighteousness left their lives.

The Peace that comes with receiving Jesus Christ, the prince of Peace, is amazing.

Chrismas is a resplendent season with great reasons to truely rejoice within our hearts and our lives first.

Do you know the hope/light of Christnas?

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