15th December 2024

A thought for Christmas - (Carol Service message)

Many people, today, choose to think that the Bible is basically a work of fiction. I even heard, the other day, that someone had described it as “a load if rubbish”.  It is not, of course. What it is, is a recognised collection of historically correct accounts of the creator’s dealings with his creation over the centuries.

I say “choose to think” because making that choice makes life so much more convenient.  But if we can just accept, for a moment, that the Biblical account of Jesus birth that we Christians, anyway, celebrate at Christmas, is indeed historically TRUE, then we are immediately presented with the question “Why?”.

Why did God, because that’s who Jesus was, and who the Bible firmly attests to be the creator of the universe, come to Earth, in fragile human form, live with us for only about 33 years, and then allow himself to be put to death like a common criminal? “Why?”.

The answer to that question was given to us by the prophet Isaiah, some 700 years before it happened. It was in our first lesson. I quote “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.”

Jesus came because “We are people walking in darkness and living in the land of deep darkness”, but Isaiah explains that “on us a light has dawned.” 

We NEED that light, to see our way forward because unless we can see a way forward, for ourselves, for our families, for our nations, life becomes meaningless.  Think about that for a moment.

But thankfully life isn’t meaningless because “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.”

Government is a huge issue in our world today. The very word immediately brings to mind the names of political parties, of presidents and of prime ministers.  They all think they govern, but actually NONE of them have ultimate authority, because there’s a governmental authority to which even those people are subject - happily, I might add.


As Isaiah tells us, that governmental authority is Jesus. I quote again, And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will establish and uphold justice and righteousness from that time on and for ever.


The «That time on» that Isaiah was referring to was the first Christmas. And it’s guaranteed, because the Lord Almighty, infinitely wise and infinitely powerful, has promised to do it. 

For God so LOVED the world, says one of the most famous verses in the whole of this non-fictional, factual, Holy Spirit inspired, human intelligence scripted, Bible of ours, For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

That’s why Christmas is has been celebrated for over 2000 years and why it is celebrated today by over 2 billion people, Christians and non-Christians alike.