Christmas is the most celebrated holiday worldwide and warmly welcomed for a variety of reasons. It is a season to reunite with family and friends, to exchange gifts, to rest from a year of heavy labor, to take holiday, and no doubt, for many industries, to grab hold of wonderful commercial opportunities.
Amidst all the mixture of commotions, of celebrations, laughters and restfulness, the true meaning of Christmas goes deeper still.
The Son of God once left heaven to live with us, to give us hope and eternal life. More excellent than the highest imagination of men, here is the most unforgettable divine visitation that mankind has ever known. Because He came, the ray of hope shines so radiantly in the darkest hours where evil seems to reign and through the thousand of years of cries of injustices, human despair and confusion.
Born in a manger and not in the palace of kings, the King of the Universe humbly began His life on earth. Growing quietly in a poor carpenter’s family, he attended no school, wrote no books and had no teachers, but taught as the greatest Teacher through His life example and teaching that lifted up human civilization to new heights of virtues.
A man of sufferings all his life, He relieved the sufferings of many. Deprived of the most basic human rights, He became the Champion of human rights -- all the human rights we often take for granted and enjoy today. He died at the prime age of man and through His death became the Savior of the world. His resurrection became the sure Promise that all things will be perfected some day.
No great life ever passed so swiftly, so quietly, so humbly, so far removed from the noise and commotion of the world; and no great life after its close excited such universal and lasting interest. In His three brief years of ministry is condensed the deepest meaning of religion and life. While philosophers and religious teachers can only present perfection in abstraction and ideas, the Founder of Christianity demonstrated through His life the perfect harmony of all virtues and graces, acknowledged by both friends and foes.
He is the inspiration of the greatest poets, musicians, philosophers and leaders of every aspect of human life. Today His influence is continually seen from hundreds of thousands of church pulpits, in judiciaries and established systems in society, in universities and schools, in prisons, in charity houses and in happy homes, in learned works and simple tracts in endless succession.
Christmas reminds us that the God of Heaven once came and walked among men. Jesus the Nazarene is the most blessed fact of history. Let us celebrate CHRIST, God’s greatest gift to mankind!
Merry Christmas!
Mejlina
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Note: Some of the content of are adapted and summarized from History of the Christian Church, Volume 1, Chapter 2, by Phillip Schaff. _____________________________________________________________________
Note: Some of the content of are adapted and summarized from History of the Christian Church, Volume 1, Chapter 2, by Phillip Schaff. _____________________________________________________________________
圣诞节又到了 ，在庆祝耶稣基督降生的时候，让我们再一次地来思想这位自称为"人子"的耶稣基督。耶稣基督是谁呢？耶稣基督是至高上帝的儿子，是上帝对人类爱的最高表达。耶稣基督不但为我们降生，他更为我们死和复活。这位"人子"耶稣基督，出身在马槽里，长在很少为人所知的小村落。在世上的时候，他一无所有，被人轻看，被朋友抛弃甚至出卖。他被钉死在一个十字架上，埋在一个借来的坟墓里。可是死亡没有胜过他。耶稣基督的复活给一切信他的人带来了无比的希望和力量。他的复活成为人类真正盼望的开始，成为我们得着新生命的根基。今天，这位最没有享受人权的人子已成为人类认识和追求人权的力量源泉，这位曾经被嘲弄，戏笑的人子已成为人类一切丰富灵感和知识的权威，这位曾被轻看的人子已成为人类的中心和进步的动力，因为耶稣基督改变并更正了我们对宇宙和世界的观念，耶稣基督使我们真正认识到我们本身的尊严，价值，亏欠以及责任。
亲爱的朋友，当上帝给你机会面对他儿子耶稣基督的时候，你珍惜这个机会吗？你愿意听耶稣基督的话吗？你愿意从他的话语里面领受伟大的信仰吗？
当全世界都在记念他诞生的时候，我将这份得胜死亡的祝福，送给你 — 我最特別的朋友。
张锺 (Charles Chang)
December 2007
亲爱的朋友，当上帝给你机会面对他儿子耶稣基督的时候，你珍惜这个机会吗？你愿意听耶稣基督的话吗？你愿意从他的话语里面领受伟大的信仰吗？
当全世界都在记念他诞生的时候，我将这份得胜死亡的祝福，送给你 — 我最特別的朋友。
张锺 (Charles Chang)
December 2007
