Yesterday, Pastor Mark preached from several well know passages: Luke 1:39-56, Matthew 1:1 & Genesis 12:1-3. It was another excellent message on the true meaning of Christmas.

Here are a few key points I jotted down:

  • The backdrop of Christmas is sin
  • The motive of Christmas is grace
  • The focus of Christmas is Jesus
  • The purpose was redemption: God sending his Son to deliver his people from their sins!

The reason I posted this blog with the title “Abraham the Pagan” is the best part! If you read through the verses mentioned above, you will discover how God used Abraham to prophecy and fulfill His promise of redemption through His Son, Jesus Christ. God told Abraham to go to a land that He would show Him. He also promised a blessing upon Abraham and that people from all nations would be blessed through him. This was a direct reference to the Son of Promise who would bless people from all nations with the grace of forgiveness and eternal fellowship with God! The amazing thing about Abraham is this: He was a pagan before God called him! The two major monotheistic religions: Jews and Muslims both hold Abraham in high regards but for the wrong reasons. Before God called Abram, he was an idol worshipper who was not seeking after God. His entire life is also plagued with sinfulness and decent. Therefore, it was not because Abraham was someone special or did enough good works that God called him. God, by his amazing Grace, called Abraham to himself and blessed him. His entire life thereafter is filled with God working in and through him! He was richly blessed (undeserved) to be of the line of Christ in Matthew 1:1.

So, God works through sinful people. Many people hate Christians today because they feel we are to exclusive. However, as Pastor Mark pointed out, Christians are just the opposite. All other religions are based on some form of merit: disciplines, fastings, code of ethics, rules, duties, etc. Christianity is saying, “God saves us not by our merits but by Jesus of Nazareth!” It is an invitation to come and drink the Gospel of grace proclaimed to us in the Bible (Rev. 22:17).

I hope I never forget year after year the true meaning of Christmas: Jesus is and always will be the reason for this season!