NEON 2014: The Reason for the Season

NEON 2014

The Reason for the Season

by Daniel Carandang

written by Ashley Petallano

It's the most wonderful time of the year: CHRISTMAS! Feels like yesterday when we celebrated Christmas 2013 and now, we're enjoying Christmas 2014. Some of us have changed over the months. Others gained weight, some lost them. Our hairs have grown longer and there are some who chose to cut it short. Change is everywhere!

Sadly, even our view of Christmas has changed. Rather than focusing on the real reason for the season, we're more excited with shallow stuff: what gift will we get? Will mom finally buy us that iPhone 6? Will our crush grant our most wanted Christmas wish, which is for them to notice us? Will their be unlimited lechon kawali on the dinner table and if so, can you also eat it non-stop?

Christmas has been too commercialized. We're more concerned of the lights, the food and the gifts when we're missing the real reason behind the season. Christmas songs celebrate red-nosed reindeer, a fat man in a red suit bringing gifts and even heartbreak! 

And so today, we’re going to look back and rediscover God’s purpose when He made the first Christmas, through the angels’ announcement of Jesus birth more than 2000 years ago.

We all know the story of the nativity. Mary was about to have a baby and she went with her husband Joseph to Nazareth to register for the census. It can be compared to our voter's registration. It wasn't long until Mary had finally given birth to a baby boy and she named Him Jesus. 

Miles away were shepherds tending to their flock. During their day, shepherds were considered as the lowest members of the Jewish social group. They were seen like trash collectors, meaning the lowest of the low. Their job came with rough handling of animals and unbearable smell. 

Some of us feel like shepherds- unclean and just plain rubbish. From the perspective of an outsider, they weren't of great importance and we can feel that too. However, God knew otherwise. 

9 “An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

Luke 2:9

The angels weren't like what we see on commercials today with those fluffy wings and chubby cheeks, they were mighty warriors and they scared the daylights out of the shepherds. Who could blame them? There you are, silently tending to your sheep and looking at the stars when all of a sudden, angels come forth!

“But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Luke 2:10-12

After the reign of David and Solomon, God became silent with His people. He no longer corresponded with them directly like He did with their ancestors. The Jews were continuously surrounded by their enemies and for 6,000 years, they waited for the arrival of the promised Messiah. These shepherds were the first to hear of the good news!

“Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying 14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests.”

Luke 2:13-14

We like hearing good news. It feels so nice when we learn that our mom just brought home a bucket of fried chicken or find out that we aced our exams. The good news these men heard was not just any good news- it was the BEST for all generations.

The Messiah had finally come.

Some of us might wonder how this is good news to US. Sure, it was great for the Jews because finally, their savior had come. But what good is that to us? How can this be better than the news of our crush finally noticing us for the first time in forever?

Just one simple word: PEACE.

With all the stress this world has to offer (let's not get started with school), we just want peace. We want to experience that inner satisfaction, that feeling of quietness against the troubles. 

The song of the angels told of the Savior who came to glorify God, to show the world who He is and of course, to bring that long awaited peace. What does it mean when we say that Jesus came to provide us peace?

1. PEACE WITH GOD

But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear. 

Isaiah 59:2 

Let's face it: WE'RE SINNERS.

It only takes one sin to make you a sinner. Just us lying to our parents or disobeying them is enough to send us towards Hell. Because God is perfect, He has every right not to accept us into His kingdom. We're dirty and very much unworthy of His holy presence.

It's only by His grace that He chose to send His Son to die in our place. He wanted win His war against Satan, to win the souls that can be saved. We cannot win this war on our own- we need Christ and His sacrifice. 

"But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all." 

Isaiah 53:5, 6

Christmas is a reminder of Christ's invitation to experience that real peace, as stated in Romans 5:1. He is offering us the gift of salvation, which He freely gives. Earthly presents such as gadgets or clothes are nothing compared to what He has to give or already given to us. 

Because of Jesus, we can enjoy peace with God.

2. PEACE WITHIN

Ever felt so jittery, so nervous that you just want to melt right on the spot?

There comes those times when our projects, defenses and exams fall into one day. Most of us wish to just fly away to Neverland while others wait in anticipation, sometimes with hard-pounding hearts and jaws ready to drop.

We've had our share of problems. Some of them are shallow while others are unbelievably difficult to handle. Trials are inevitable, we can expect them to come anytime, anywhere. The question is: how are you going to deal with them?

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:6-7

Problems can cause our brains to go crazy but those who rely on the peace of God through faith will breeze through trials with that assurance that surpasses all understanding. There's no guarantee that you won't feel pain, but when we put our trust in the Lord, we feel peaceful. We know that God's got us. 

Christmas also reminds us that because of Jesus, we can stop worrying about our past, present or future. God is sovereign and He can handle anything. With His help, we are assured that we are headed towards the right direction, no matter what the circumstance. 

Peace is not the absence of pain. It is actually being still in the presence of God despite the crisis. 

Are you searching for peace? Find it in God.

3. PEACE WITH OTHERS

There's two types of people: those we like and those we don't.

The people we like are easy to love. We can hug them anytime or say a good thing most of the time. However, those on the opposing side never fail to annoy us and wish that they'd just vanish to another planet, anywhere far from you.

We've all been hurt. Because of humanity's sinful nature,we're not perfect. We say stuff that offend others and we get offended in return. Being in pain because of others' actions or words is something we can never avoid. It's only natural for us to harbor anger or bitterness. 

During Jesus' time, the Jews and the Gentiles shared the same situation. They hated each other. Being in the presence of one another repulsed them. But they (and even us) were reminded by Paul in his letter to the people of Ephesians about peace with others through Christ:

“For Christ Himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in His own body on the cross, He broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. 16 Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of His death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death."

Forgiveness is only possible because of Jesus- that is another gift brought by Christmas. When we experience God's present of forgiveness, we can forgive those who offend us. Why not forgive when we have been forgiven? We cannot have peace unless we have the Prince of Peace Himself.

When we have the peace of God, we will experience peace within and it will eventually manifest in our relationship with others.

Christmas should not be treated as a holiday all because of the gifts, food and the lights. Christmas is more than that. It's a season where we should celebrate the fact that PEACE came down in the form of a human to sacrifice Himself as an act of selfless love.

Never forget: JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON!