Hey friends. I’m sure most of us have heard the phrase at Christmas that “Jesus is the reason for the season” many times. It’s true and far more than a cliche or adage. From the Berean Study Bible, this is what we find in the gospel of Matthew, Chapter 1, verses 20 through 21:

…20But after he had pondered these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to embrace Mary as your wife, for the One conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit…21She will give birth to a Son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.”

The reason for the season is “salvation.” Jesus is salvation. God came to earth, born as a child in order to die as a man so that I don’t have to die eternally for sinning against a holy and righteous God. I was listening today to a pastor on video, a video sent by a very good friend. The pastor was explaining what Jesus did for you and me and it went like this. A man was caught speeding and was given a ticket which he turned over to a judge he knew, asking him to take care of it for him. The man caught speeding didn’t hear back and contacted the judge to find out how the judge took care of it — how he had dismissed it. The judge said, “I didn’t dismiss it, I paid it.” The law offender was shocked, responding, “you paid it?” The judge responded, “were you speeding as the officer indicated?” The man said, “I was.” The judge replied, “you violated the law; I can’t dismiss it, a debt is owed.” “I paid it.”

Jesus indeed is the reason for Christmas. He was born to live before us and show us who God is, and then to die on the cross to pay my sin debt, your sin debt, against God. Only Jesus could pay this debt for each of us because only He was without sin. And He defeated death and the grave forever when He arose on the third day. Accepting the reason for the season, namely the Lord Jesus Christ, as personal Savior, is to accept God’s Christmas gift of eternal life. We know how to accept gifts on earth. Often people reject God’s gift of Jesus for various reasons. But a gift becomes a gift when received. Eternal life through Jesus Christ is, as the apostle Paul put it, God’s “unspeakable gift.”

Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift. (II Corinthians 9:15, KJV, Bible)

How can one put what Christ did into words? Yes, Jesus IS the reason for the season!

In closing today, I, with family and many dear friends share with you in celebrating the birth of my fourth grandchild, a little girl, Eden Hope Coleman. God brought her onto this planet on December 2, 2019.  Isn’t she adorable? And Merry Christmas, dear friends!

Eden Hope Coleman

Mimi and Pops (blessed)