The Profound Truth of the Gift of Christmas
Clarice Cheong reflects on the necessary gift of Christmas as she looks back on our Christmas Eve Service.
Crowds of people flitted into church on a rainy evening, which was an unfamiliar but comforting sight. Praise God for the easing of restrictions so that many could come to hear the Christmas message!
Narrating the Christmas message: Qing Ping, Bryan and Soo Jong reading from Luke 1:26-33, Matthew 1:18-23 and John 3:5-17, with a lively message from Bryan for the children (and all) on what it means to trust in God (CAR!).
Elder Thian Chye preached on John 3:16-17. Simple, yet gripping, these verses unveil the true gift of Christmas to all, challenging us believers to reflect on how we are living our lives after we have received this gift.
The gift that none of us deserved
Elder Thian Chye began by sharing about God’s loving creation of mankind, and man’s disobedience or sin against God. As scripture makes it clear for us, ‘for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’ (Rom 3:23). The former bishop of Liverpool, JC Ryle explains plainly that "in spiritual things, [man] is utterly 'dead' and has no natural knowledge, or love, or fear of God." Mankind, in our utter depravity, are therefore deserving of condemnation and eternal separation from God.
The necessary gift of Christmas
The truth about mankind’s evil throws into sharp relief the profundity of God’s gift to mankind and the extent of His love. The gift of Christmas is that He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ to die on the cross, so that sinners like us, who believe in this truth, can have eternal life and enjoy God forever. In a culture where the notion of self-sufficiency is celebrated and we are highly accustomed to reciprocal gift exchanges, do we see that God’s gift to mankind is undeserved, unilateral, and yet absolutely necessary for every man?
May our hearts be convicted of the true extent of our darkened hearts so that the truth about the gift of Christmas will grip us, inviting us to respond with sweet hymns of praise:
How deep the Father's love for us
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure
Jesus is the true light, true king and the one who saves and gives us life. Rebecca shared her testimony during the service on how Jesus has saved her and changed her life. You can listen to her sharing here.
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You can watch the Christmas Eve Service here: