Luke 2:15-20, “And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.”

December should not be the only time in which we talk with our family, friends, and co-workers about Jesus Christ, but Christmas affords us a golden opportunity to speak about Him with folks who would easily tune us out the other eleven months of the year. Without doubt Christmas is over-commercialized. No question that the big-boned, bearded gentleman from the North Pole receives the lion’s share of the press during Christmas, but it is still Christmas, not Clausmas! What a wonderful opportunity to praise God for the first coming of Christ, to magnify the name of Jesus, to declare…  

• “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a Son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us” Matthew 1:23.  

• And why is God with us? As the angel told Joseph: “She shall bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call His name Jesus: for He shall save His people from their sins” Matthew 1:21.  

• How shall He save His people from their sins? “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved…For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” John 3:16-17; Romans 6:23.  

Explain to people, starting with your kids if you have any, why Christmas should be celebrated, and that we celebrate the wonderful truth of the incarnation year-round!