Dear Christian friends:

These days before Christmas when you meet a friend and visit for a short time and then the friend leaves he or she will often say, "Have a nice Christmas!" or "I hope you have a good Christmas!"

What does that person mean? He probably means that he hopes you will have a good Christmas with family and friends, eating, drinking and exchanging gifts. And that can be "nice" and "good". But is that what really makes a good Christmas? Most people would answer yes to that question. In order to have a really GOOD Christmas we need to have faith in God. We need to have a faith the same as Mary had when the angel visited her in her home in Nazareth, and told her that God had chosen her to be the mother of His Son, Jesus Christ. Mary had a beautiful faith that first Christmas. She had


Faith that makes for a good Christmas means to believe that God can do anything - nothing is too hard for God.

Mary had such a faith. Mary believed that by God's power she would conceive and bear a baby without the seed of man. That had never happened before, and it will never happen again. When the angel, Gabriel, told her that God had chosen her to be the mother of His Son, Mary was puzzled and wondered how that could happen, because she was not married. She was a virgin. (verse 34) The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and God's power will be over you. Therefore, the holy thing will be named the Son of God." (verse 35)

To help Mary believe the angel added that her cousin, Elizabeth, who was very old and who had had no children, was also pregnant, six months along, expecting John the Baptist. (verse 36) Then he explains, "God can do anything." (verse 37) Mary believed. She said to the angel, "I am the Lord's servant. Let it happen to me as you have said." (verse 38) Mary had faith and trust in God's Word and promise, although what He said and promised seemed impossible.

We need to have the same faith as Mary this Christmas. Although it is beyond human understanding, although it seems impossible, we must believe that the Baby lying in the manger is the eternal Son of God. This faith, and this faith alone makes for a really good Christmas.

Faith that trusts God's grace and mercy is also needed in order to have a really good Christmas.

Mary had such a faith. Although Mary was a sinner and unworthy, the same as all other women, she trusted in God's mercy and grace. This we see by the words of the angel to her and her response. The angel came and said to her, "Peace be to you! God shows grace to you and He is with you and He has blessed you more than any other woman." When Mary saw the angel she was afraid and wondered about the meaning of his words. The angel said, "Don't be afraid, Mary, God is kind to you. You will conceive and bear a son, and you will name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be named the Son of the Most High God. And the Lord will give Him the throne of His father, David, and He will rule over God's people forever, His kingdom will never end."(verses 28- 33) Mary trusted God's grace and mercy in Jesus. She had the faith that makes for a really good Christmas. Although she was a sinner and unworthy, she believed God's grace that He forgives sins in Jesus.

For a really good Christmas we, same as Mary, need faith that trusts God's grace and mercy in Jesus. We, the same as Mary, are unworthy sinners, and really deserve God's anger and eternal punishment. But God shows grace to us also. The angel told Mary to name her baby JESUS. In the Hebrew language JESUS means SAVIOR and God's Son, Jesus is the Savior of all nations, not just the Jewish nation. (John 3:16)

All people who like Mary believe God's grace and mercy are members of Jesus' eternal kingdom, whether Jew or Gentile. And all who do not believe in God's grace are not members of His Israel. Even Jews who do not believe in Jesus are not members of God's Israel. A true Israelite is someone who humbly confesses his sins and unworthiness and then believes in Jesus Christ, whether Jew or Gentile. (Romans 4:16)

For a really good Christmas we need faith that trusts God's grace in Jesus, that we may have forgiveness of sins and peace with God.

Faith that makes for a good Christmas is willing to serve God although such service can mean trouble and problems.

Mary had such a faith. Mary agreed to serve God by being the mother of His Son although that meant trouble and problems for her.

Mary was engaged to marry a man named Joseph. When Joseph heard that Mary was expecting a baby, he suspected that she had been unfaithful to him and that she had become pregnant by another man. So Joseph was planning to break his engagement to Mary. (Matthew 1:18-19) Mary by her faith and service to God risked a broken engagement from Joseph.

By her faith and service to God Mary also risked her life. According to Jewish law, a woman who became pregnant and not married could be stoned to death. Mary by her faith and service to God also risked to suffer shame and mockery from her neighbors. But God protected Mary and informed Joseph, and Joseph did not break his engagement to her, but accepted her for his wife. (Matthew 1:20-25)

In spite of all these risks and problems, Mary believed the angel and accepted to serve as the mother of God's Son, the Savior of the world. Mary had a beautiful faith, a faith that makes for a really good Christmas.

We, if we want to have a really good Christmas, must have faith like Mary's and willingly serve God although our service can mean troubles and problems for us. When we this Christmas serve God by witnessing to others about the true meaning of Christmas, some will mock us and think we are weird. Also, because of our faith in Jesus we must give up some pleasures, comforts and fun. We love Jesus and want to go to church on Sundays instead of golfing, fishing and visiting as the unbelievers do. We love Jesus and want to serve Him by giving our large offerings for home church and missions, instead of spending it on fancy decorations, gift exchanges and fine clothes or far trips. We with joy daily take up our cross, same as Mary.

This is the faith that makes for a really good Christmas.

Amen.