Dear Christian friends:

Once again that wonderful day called Christmas has come. We Americans have spent more money for presents (gifts) food and decorations than ever before. But although we have spent more money we do not seem to be happier. Yes, truly, I think many of us are more selfish than before. The more we get the more we want. We are less happy. Why?

That's an easy answer. We fail to establish and build our happiness on the Babe of Bethlehem and the wonderful words of the angel to the shepherds about Him.

If you're not happy today, please listen to the words of our text. They say some very wonderful things about Jesus who was born on Christmas day. Even if you are happy about your house and tree and gifts and big dinner. Tomorrow, please listen to these words of our text. They will give you true happiness which will not disappear by Tuesday morning. Let us attend to our text and consider:


He is a wonderful person. John writes what John the Baptizer said of Him: "John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me." (verse 15) John the Baptizer says that Jesus was "before" him. Yet, we know that John was born six months before Jesus. Is John wrong? Does he lie when he says "Jesus was before me?" What does John the Baptizer mean? He means that Jesus is the eternal Son of God. He lived long before He became a baby in Mary and was born of her by the Holy Ghost.

John, the disciple, in this same chapter tells of Jesus living before His birth on Christmas: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God." (John 1:1-2)

It is true, Jesus does not seem like God. He lies helpless on the hay in the manger of Bethlehem. He is born like all other babies and needs His mother's care and protection. He is a true human baby, and later as He grows up and becomes a Man. He looks like any other man. But He is also the everlasting Son of God: So on this Christmas Eve we can sing TLH 105, Praise God the Lord, Ye Sons of Men.

Why does such a wonderful thing happen? John, the disciple, writes, "We have all benefited from the rich blessings he brought to us—blessing upon blessing heaped upon us! For Moses gave us only the Law with its rigid demands and merciless justice, while Jesus Christ brought us loving forgiveness as well." (John 1:16-17 TLB)

So Jesus was born to bring us love and truth. By nature we do not have love and truth. The Law or Ten Commandments which God gave through Moses do not bring love to us and do not make us tell the truth. When we hear the Law (Ten Commandments) we become afraid and feel guilty. Then we invent lies or excuses to take away our guilt. The Law condemns us and we try to hide our sin or blame others.

So the law does not make us tell the truth. It makes us become hypocrites and liars. But God gave His Son Jesus to free us from the Law. Jesus was born to be our brother and to keep the law for us. Paul says, "When the exact time came God sent forth His Son made of a woman, made under the Law to redeem them that were under the Law, that we could become His children." (Galatians 4:4-5)

Because of Jesus we are free from the demands of the Law and God forgives all our sins. That love of God in Jesus makes us be honest and confess our sins and accept His love and forgiveness. Now we do not lie or invent excuses or be a hypocrite anymore. We are not afraid to confess the truth about ourselves because we know God will not be angry and He will not punish us.

Also we have love and kindness for others who may sin against us. So we have peace with God and peace with each other. All this the wonderful Babe in the manger does for us. If we believe in Him, we really see God. John says here, "Nobody has ever seen God. The only Son who is God and closed to the Father's heart has told us about Him." (verse 18)

The Babe in the manger was born to tell us that God loves us and forgives all our sins in Him. We are His children again. I believe this wonderful news. I do not think that I could continue living without that news.

The world is very evil and there is no real happiness or hope in this world. But the Babe in the manger gives us real happiness and hope, not only in this world but also in the next. I hope you, too, will believe in Him and have a very happy Christmas.

Amen.