Many have mused on this subject. So, I won’t be surprised if, while reading this short message, if you say that nothing new is said. But even if you haven’t read or heard of anything I will say but still say to me that you are not inclined to believe what I have said to be new, you are still right. The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 1:9, there is nothing new under heaven. It says, what is has already been. So, Christmas: what is its essence?
Among the things widely said about Christmas, one is that it is an Event for Sacrifice and a memorial to the birthday of Jesus Christ. True to a great extent. But sacrifice? Really? If you think so, that it is sacrifice, I am not sure recently or during this period you visited any markets and especially the numerous shopping malls that are gradually springing up everywhere these days. (And talking about shopping malls, I was a bit apprehensive for some of them in a particular state where the Chief Helmsman, who likes playing God and has a penchant to shutdown those of his competitors because they had the temerity to declare an American version of sales at the same time his declared similar one. Oh! Is it the politician in me that is speaking or I am just saying the obvious. I know there are those who are going to be for and against but I am sorry. I won’t veer off again, politically speaking, whatever that means.
So, back to Christmas’ essence. And to the part that made me to veer off. The sacrifice part. Or was the shopping malls thing? Nevermind.
On the sacrifice thing, we have to agree that sacrifice is not what it means to plenty of us. Ha! We know na! Unless we are talking about the animal and human sacrifices that, sadly, take place in many places. And we cannot deny this. The Christmas period also marks the end of the year and further sadly, many rituals, from individual to communal, are done by all sorts of entities for different reasons.
For me, the saddest part is the active participation of many so-called Christians and church leaders. Some will simply tell you, give to God what belongs to Him and to Caesar what belongs to him. They will tell you that it is an age-long tradition and there is not much they can do about it. Meanwhile, the same people will return from their towns, villages, and communities after Christmas and actively participate in the fasting and prayer programmes their churches organise. The same people who be vibrating when prayer points against ancestral spirits and covenants are raised. Some of them superintendent over these programmes. Sad. Very sad. Who is deceiving who? But, again, nevermind. This is the Pastor in me trying to preach though I don’t like preaching. I’d rather be a messenger than being a preacher. It is easier. As a messenger, you bear very little vicarious liability. As a preacher, dem go say, “no bi yu tok say….”? Na dia wahala kom kasala.
Oh! Veering off again. What is the essence of Christmas? Sokonte, stop beating around the bush. Go straight to what you want to say. Alright. I will. I will.
The essence of Christmas, I believe is about Hope. Hope? Yes! Hope. Man fell woefully in Eden’s Garden. Man lost all to Satan. But God came down. Firstly, at Eden. To cover man’s nakedness by clothing him. Secondly and immediately, He announced man’s deliverance by proclaiming the coming of the Christ. It took time, as some of you will say. Yes, it did. But it happened. And before His physical manifestation by Himself, He also had typologies. The fallen Adam, himself, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, Moses, Gideon, Barak, Jephthah, Samson, Boaz, Jesse, Samuel, David and so many. I don’t want to preach so, nothing will be said on each of them. There were also women who were typologies. Women, as typologies of the Christ? Of the Messiah? Ha! Yu don kom o. Yes, as long as you look at Christmas as Hope. No preaching but I will name a few: Eve, Sarah, Rachel, Rebecca, the Hebrew women in Exodus in Egypt, Miriam, Deborah, Rahab, Tamar, Ruth, Naomi, Elizabeth, and ultimately, Mary. Oh! So many women! Wow!
These men and women represented Hope. Why? How? Many were outcasts, never seem to worth anything. Not from the favoured group. Were despondent, vulnerable. Yes! Vulnerable. In fact, HOPELESS! But their vulnerability, despondency, despair, exclusion, low estate, hopeless and the like gave HOPE. Their experiences assure that no matter our situations, dispositions, circumstances, location, past or present lifestyle or societal reckoning, acceptance or rejection, we have HOPE. That there is something, or rather, SOMEONE, we have to look up to and know that we have a brighter future. The Word of God says we should look up to Jesus, the Author and Finisher. That due to what He saw ahead endured the cross, difficulties rejection even by family and friends, and He dispised the shame in those circumstances. There is something good to exthose
Whether we want to believe it or not, our situation, whether on this side of eternity or on the other side is glorious, ultimately. We have a Deliverer, a Saviour. In fact, The Saviour of the whole world. And this Saviour’s arrival was announced gloriously by ANGELS! But He chose a lowly manger as His entry point I a cattle shed. What humility! And this is to buttress the fact that many a great things have always started in humble and lowly fashion. Dispise not your humble or poor beginnings.
Stop bothering about the merriment you didn’t have or couldn’t have this Christmas. Stop bothering about the shopping spree you couldn’t be engaged in as in the past. Stop bothering about the skyrocketing price of things (and I tell you the truth, in all my experience, it is ONLY in Nigeria the price of things go up during the end of the year. That is a talk for another day). Stop bothering about the so many things that want you to bother or want to bother you. Just know and understand that Christmas can be so many different things to so many different people. But the whole Essence and overriding significance of it is HOPE. And this Hope is through the salvation offer given to everyone, I mean, to every single person by the Giver of Hope who choselonger to no longer stay in Heaven but came to dwell amongst men. He came bodily and when leaving bodily, He left with us His Holy Spirit. Accept Him and His offer of total salvation and redemption and you will no longer see the commercialism and commercialisation of Christmas. You will begin to see Christmas for its real and true essence.
Merry Christmas to you all.
Rt. Hon. Sokonte Davies, Ph.D. (Also a Reverend, if you care to know)
