The Christmas season is a time of reflection on the
essence of the moment. Obed Minchakpu, writes on this mood of the season
and why it is necessary for everyone who believes that God’s mandate
towards humanity is reflected through His son who is the reason for the
celebration
The question: ‘Christmas, how relevant in the face of today’s global challenges’? is timely and pertinent such that it requires an answer, and urgently too, if we, as a church, are to live up to our mandate of reaching a world in crisis with a message of hope.
To answer the question, we must, first, have a clear perspective of the current global situation and then think of the method(s) that we can use in presenting the message of Christmas to a world at the brink of facing a bleak future.
There is no doubt that our world is currently engulfed in crisis of unprecedented dimension as never before experienced in human history. From the diametric rise in terrorism to the global catastrophic environmental crises which have manifested in global warming resulting in murderous storms, floods, and typhoons.
Terrorism, for instance, has become a global phenomenon that is devouring human lives. Africa and its people are, today, facing the challenges of insurgency as Al-Qaeda, Al-Shabab, and Boko Haram islamists are holding African countries to ransom.
There are also new health challenges as new diseases with no known cures have bedeviled most countries of the world, especially the developing nations of Africa, Asia, and Latin America. These diseases range from HIV/AIDS to Ebola, and the likes. Our continent, the African continent, is ravaged by these disease and the situation seems helpless even with the intervention of developed nations.
Further more, we see that there is geometric rise in poverty across most developing countries as most of the populations of these nations live below the poverty line. Desertification is spreading like wild fire, forcing peoples in worst hit areas in Africa to migrate to other less devastating areas and thereby bringing along with it conflicts.
In all these, is the message of Christmas still relevant? Can the message of Christmas minister healing to those in desperate health situations? Can the message give hope to those in hopeless situations, and can this message restore confidence in those gripped with fear? These are pertinent questions that demand urgent answers.
What is God saying to us in such situations? Are there answers in the Bible, the word of God, for such a time as this? Let’s turn to the Bible and see what God is saying.
The nation of Israel in her history, had encountered tough times, but God had always brought them out of their predicament because of His Covenant with them. We see an example of his covenant relationship with them when he liberated them from Egypt and brought them out of bondage to the promised land.
In one encounter recorded in the book of Exodus, we see that the people of Israel were griped with fear when they found themselves in an impossible situation. But even in what seemed to them to be the end, God intervened on their behalf and offered them deliverance.
“And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will show to you today: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.” (Exodus 14:13 – 14:14 KJV).
Are we not gripped by fear of the unknown? Are we not scared because of activities of terrorists and Islamists, who bomb our churches, our cities, and attack our rural communities? But be assured that even in this, we shall overcome as our God is a covenant keeping God. We have been assured of a place in God’s salvation plan through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ at Calvary. So, fear not!
Christmas is not a festival and neither is it a time for frivolous activities. It is an event of great magnitude as it reminds us of God’s unfailing love for His creatures. The birth of Jesus Christ ushered in a historical epoch in human history as humanity had the opportunity of being reconciled to God. Jesus, during his earthly ministry stated without ambiguity that his mission is to preach good news, grant healing to the sick, and liberate captives.
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” (Luke 4:18 -19 KJV).
Jesus did not just make claims of having power and authority to heal the sick, but practically demonstrated this by healing all that were sick who encountered him. The Bible testifies to this: “And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people”.(Matthew 4:23 KJV).
We also see Jesus demonstrating his power as God by calming storms and commanding environmental elements to obey him.
“And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him. And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep. And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us, we perish. And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!.” (Matthew 8:23 – 27 KJV).
Against this backdrop, we can comfortably and without contradictions answer questions raised initially in this piece by saying that the message of Christmas is still very relevant and will continue to be relevant to the world until the second manifestation of Jesus Christ, when all believers will be raptured into his heavenly kingdom. Just like during the earthly ministry of Jesus, the world today more than at any other time, needs his message of deliverance and salvation.
Therefore, it is incumbent on us to carry out the Great Commission, just as Christ commanded: “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen!” (Matthew 28:17 – 28:20 KJV).
So, as you celebrate your being a partaker in God’s offer of salvation to mankind, this Christmas season, remember that beyond this celebration, you’re to share this good news with others.
The question: ‘Christmas, how relevant in the face of today’s global challenges’? is timely and pertinent such that it requires an answer, and urgently too, if we, as a church, are to live up to our mandate of reaching a world in crisis with a message of hope.
To answer the question, we must, first, have a clear perspective of the current global situation and then think of the method(s) that we can use in presenting the message of Christmas to a world at the brink of facing a bleak future.
There is no doubt that our world is currently engulfed in crisis of unprecedented dimension as never before experienced in human history. From the diametric rise in terrorism to the global catastrophic environmental crises which have manifested in global warming resulting in murderous storms, floods, and typhoons.
Terrorism, for instance, has become a global phenomenon that is devouring human lives. Africa and its people are, today, facing the challenges of insurgency as Al-Qaeda, Al-Shabab, and Boko Haram islamists are holding African countries to ransom.
There are also new health challenges as new diseases with no known cures have bedeviled most countries of the world, especially the developing nations of Africa, Asia, and Latin America. These diseases range from HIV/AIDS to Ebola, and the likes. Our continent, the African continent, is ravaged by these disease and the situation seems helpless even with the intervention of developed nations.
Further more, we see that there is geometric rise in poverty across most developing countries as most of the populations of these nations live below the poverty line. Desertification is spreading like wild fire, forcing peoples in worst hit areas in Africa to migrate to other less devastating areas and thereby bringing along with it conflicts.
In all these, is the message of Christmas still relevant? Can the message of Christmas minister healing to those in desperate health situations? Can the message give hope to those in hopeless situations, and can this message restore confidence in those gripped with fear? These are pertinent questions that demand urgent answers.
What is God saying to us in such situations? Are there answers in the Bible, the word of God, for such a time as this? Let’s turn to the Bible and see what God is saying.
The nation of Israel in her history, had encountered tough times, but God had always brought them out of their predicament because of His Covenant with them. We see an example of his covenant relationship with them when he liberated them from Egypt and brought them out of bondage to the promised land.
In one encounter recorded in the book of Exodus, we see that the people of Israel were griped with fear when they found themselves in an impossible situation. But even in what seemed to them to be the end, God intervened on their behalf and offered them deliverance.
“And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will show to you today: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.” (Exodus 14:13 – 14:14 KJV).
Are we not gripped by fear of the unknown? Are we not scared because of activities of terrorists and Islamists, who bomb our churches, our cities, and attack our rural communities? But be assured that even in this, we shall overcome as our God is a covenant keeping God. We have been assured of a place in God’s salvation plan through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ at Calvary. So, fear not!
Christmas is not a festival and neither is it a time for frivolous activities. It is an event of great magnitude as it reminds us of God’s unfailing love for His creatures. The birth of Jesus Christ ushered in a historical epoch in human history as humanity had the opportunity of being reconciled to God. Jesus, during his earthly ministry stated without ambiguity that his mission is to preach good news, grant healing to the sick, and liberate captives.
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” (Luke 4:18 -19 KJV).
Jesus did not just make claims of having power and authority to heal the sick, but practically demonstrated this by healing all that were sick who encountered him. The Bible testifies to this: “And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people”.(Matthew 4:23 KJV).
We also see Jesus demonstrating his power as God by calming storms and commanding environmental elements to obey him.
“And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him. And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep. And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us, we perish. And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!.” (Matthew 8:23 – 27 KJV).
Against this backdrop, we can comfortably and without contradictions answer questions raised initially in this piece by saying that the message of Christmas is still very relevant and will continue to be relevant to the world until the second manifestation of Jesus Christ, when all believers will be raptured into his heavenly kingdom. Just like during the earthly ministry of Jesus, the world today more than at any other time, needs his message of deliverance and salvation.
Therefore, it is incumbent on us to carry out the Great Commission, just as Christ commanded: “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen!” (Matthew 28:17 – 28:20 KJV).
So, as you celebrate your being a partaker in God’s offer of salvation to mankind, this Christmas season, remember that beyond this celebration, you’re to share this good news with others.
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