Christmas is still the best known and single biggest religious celebration in our world. In fact, 90% of Americans celebrate Christmas. Why is it such a big deal? Sure, Jesus is considered the founder of the Christian religion, but He is only one religious figure among many. There are thousands of other men and women who have started other religions as well.

That kind of thinking is probably behind the modern “Politically Correct” way of referring to the Christmas celebration. Christmas parties are now “Holiday Parties.” Christmas vacation is now a “Winter Vacation.” Merry Christmas has been replaced with “Happy Holidays.”

If Jesus Christ is just Someone who represents another religious belief system, then removing references to Him from our national holiday celebration makes some sense. Jesus is so much more, though. He was not just a good man who healed a lot of people and said a lot of nice things about peace. Let me explain.

The Bible uses the term “Word” to refer to Jesus Christ because He is the One who communicates God to us. The Apostle John wrote: “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

In the original language the word “became” in John 1:14 means “to enter a new condition; to come to be what has never been before.” In other words, for the first time in all eternity, when Jesus was born in Bethlehem, God became something He had never been before. God became a man. That is why Jesus is called Immanuel which means “God with us.” (See Isaiah 7:14 and Matthew 1:23)

God took human form when Jesus was born, and that event is unique and unequaled in the history of the world. God took on human form, but at the same time He remained pure and completely free from sin. Even though Jesus was “… tempted in all things as we are, yet

[He was] without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). Jesus “…knew no sin…” (2 Corinthians 5:21) and He “committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth” (1 Peter 2:22).

Why would God be willing to come to earth and become a man? Think about it. Not only did Jesus give up the beauty and joy of heaven, He then spent most of His time here on earth with the poor and despised of society. Ultimately, He also allowed Himself to suffer a slow and painful death by crucifixion. Why?

The Bible answers that question. The New Living Translation words it this way: “The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins” (Romans 8:3).

The sins you and I have committed confront us with a problem that we cannot solve. They separate us from the God we were created to be with. The joy of Christmas is that God, who knows every dark deed we have ever done, every wicked thought that has ever crossed our minds, has done something about that problem for us. The birth of Christ is His solution. Accepting God’s provided sacrifice for our sins and turning from following our own way to following Him is the only eternal hope that we have.

That is why I am unashamed to say, “Merry Christmas!”