WHAT DOES THE WORD CHRISTMAS MEAN?

In six more days, we are going to celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus. Many are currently busy shopping for gifts for their families and friends, and the children couldn't wait to open their Christmas presents. Millions of people celebrate Christmas all over the world, and each culture has its own way to celebrate Christmas. But what does the word Christmas mean? It comes from two words. The first word is Christos (Χριστός), which is a Greek word that means "anointed or chosen one." God the Father anointed or chose Jesus as the Savior of the world from sin. The English translation of Christos is Christ, which is the title of Jesus. The second word is Mass from Latin missa. It refers to the church service where Christians partake in the Lord's Supper, which is the communion. To combine the two words, we come up with Christmas, which means the Mass of Christ or the church service of Jesus Christ. So, Christmas is the celebration of Jesus' birth because Jesus was the anointed or chosen one of God to save the world from sin. It also remembers his ultimate goal of dying on the cross for our sins through the communion. 

In this Christmas season, let us not forget the meaning of Christmas. All the gift giving and Christmas parties are secondary only to celebrating our Lord Jesus' birth in our hearts. Let us remind others of the meaning of Christmas, especially our families and friends. There are many people today trying to separate Jesus from Christmas because they do not believe in Him; however, we cannot separate Jesus from Christmas, because Christmas exists because of Him. Many people use the greeting "happy holidays" instead of "merry Christmas" because they do not believe in Jesus. As believers of our Lord Jesus Christ, we must greet people by using "Merry Christmas" because when we greet people with "Merry Christmas," we are proclaiming the meaning of Christmas. It is all about celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, our Savior. People need to know the meaning of Christmas so that they can find hope in Jesus and believe in Him, be forgiven, and receive eternal life. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS, everyone! Our Lord Jesus was born to save us from our sins and give us eternal life. Jesus is the reason for the season. Let us praise and worship our Lord and Savior, Jesus. We have eternal hope because He was born in this world to be our Lord and Savior. 

Questions for application: (Think through these questions carefully, meditate on them while answering them, and let the Spirit of God speak to you.) What does the word Christmas mean? Why is it important to greet one another with "Merry Christmas?" What is the most important and meaning way to celebrate Christmas?  

Take a moment to write down all your worries today. Then, lift them up to God in prayer, surrendering them to His will and trusting in His guidance.

Prayer:

Dear Father in Heaven, celebrating the birth of my Lord Jesus is what Christmas is all about. Please help me not to be afraid or shy to greet others with "Merry Christmas" and to explain to others the reason we celebrate Christmas. I am saved and forgiven because my Lord Jesus was born on this earth and died on the cross for my sins, and rose from the dead that I may have a new life in Him. All glory, honor, and praise to God the Father for sending Jesus to save me. In your name, Jesus, I pray. Amen.