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The First Christmas Gift by Nancy Moschini, First Congregational Church
December 9, 2008 — Who could know my Christmas?
Let’s start with the word, “God.” God is the creator of heaven and earth and all living things. He is sovereign and in control of everything. He is holy. He is good, all the time, for all time. He loves because He is love. He loves us so much that He sent His son, Jesus, to earth to be our Emmanuel – God with us.
The word, “with” is a small word with big meaning. It means, “in the company of." Our sovereign, holy, good, perfect, and loving God is in the company of “us.” Though we are human and not perfect, we were created by Him, and He desires to be in relationship with us! By believing in Emmanuel, we are made perfect in God’s eyes and have the privilege of knowing Him, following Him and growing to be more like Him as we trust in Him. The best part is we are given hope of eternal life in heaven with Him when our earthly life is over.
People should stop in the midst of the frenzy of Christmas and reflect on its true meaning. God, because of His love for us, sent His son, Jesus to earth to dwell among us. He is Emmanuel. That tiny baby in the manger came to bring us hope. He came to tell us about God’s love and to be a perfect example of it. He came to die to save us from sin, so that we could have a relationship, eternally, with God, with Him. This is the only gift of Christmas that truly matters and it is free. Jesus paid the price with His life. He offers the gift of eternal life to those who believe in him.
This treasure of a gift is available to everyone.
Those who are unsure are invited to come and hear more about Emmanuel at First Congregational Church of Hopkinton during Sunday services for the month of December. Each Sunday the focus will be on the gift of Jesus to us, and it will be accompanied by gifted actors, singers, choirs, dancers, and musicians. It will only be an attempt to show you the love and majesty of God that is wrapped up in Christmas. The finale will be on Christmas Eve. A service geared especially towards kids grades 4 and under will happen at 3 pm. At 5 and 7 pm are the services for the older kids and adults.
Come and be immersed in Christmas as it is truly meant to be, focused on Emmanuel, God with us. |
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For
many people, Christmas is a time of frenzy, and the true meaning of
Christmas is lost in shopping, credit cards, wrapping, decorating, and
parties. Though at times, I also get caught up in these things, for me
the main focus of Christmas is on “Emmanuel,” my favorite Christmas
word. The word Emmanuel may be familiar to you from the Christmas Carol,
“O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.” But does the word really mean? It simply
means, “God with us.” But that isn’t so simple, and is actually
extraordinary when you unpack it a little.