What Christmas Means for Us

What Christmas Means for Us

Mat 4:17-20 NLT - [17] From then on, Jesus began to preach, "Turn from your sins and turn to God, because the Kingdom of Heaven is near. " [18] One day as Jesus was walking along the shore beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers--Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew--fishing with a net, for they were commercial fishermen. [19] Jesus called out to them, "Come, be my disciples, and I will show you how to fish for people!" [20] And they left their nets at once and went with him.

The Christmas message is all about Christ’s gift of salvation to the world. But salvation involves so much more than simply being saved. Salvation is a complete revolution. It is the complete death of the old self and the new birth of the new man. From the Gospels we gather this truth. The Gospel of our Lord does not end at Matthew 2 or Luke 2—it continues onwards. In Matthew 4 we see where we fit into God’s plans. Redeemed man not only receives eternal life, He receives an eternal mission: the ministry of God. Simon and Andrew are called to their ministry by Jesus. They are called to “Come [and] be [Christ’s] disciples, and [He will show [them] how to fish for people.” They respond as God’s children must respond: they leave their nets and follow Him.

Just as Christ was called away from the manger and into His ministry, He calls us into our ministry. The word “ministry” has changed meanings over the past few years to imply pastoralship. That is not at all what the Biblical meaning implies. Each of us have a ministry to the Lord. He has knit in each of us a purpose for which the Kingdom of Heaven will be strengthened. It is difficult to think that we can impact the Kingdom of God, but we can. Indeed, we must. As receipients of salvation, we become proclaimers of salvation. Our spiritual gifts to the Lord are used to proclaim the Good News all around the world. Christmas means that the gift God gave to us bears more gifts. It bears the gift of fruitfulness. May we be fruitful Christians. May we live as people of purpose and enlighten the world from its darkened state into the glorious light of the Gospel, which began so humbly in the manger. Amen.

With love in Christ,

Austin Aldrich