“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, that you through his poverty might become rich.” (2 Corinthians 8:9).

Commemoration of Birthdays in history becomes colorful and meaningful only if we ponder what they have achieved.

October 2, 1869, is Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday and the nation of India is commemorating and celebrating October 2nd as one of the public holidays in India. But when people of India celebrate his birthday on every October 2nd, they don’t think about him as an infant in his parent’s hands, do they? People of India remember what He did for the nation to free India from foreign rule. This is the same with any other birthdays nations are celebrating as public holidays.
We celebrate George Washington’s birthday as president day on the third Monday of the month of February. We don’t typically remember him as an infant with his parents. We honor the day to remember the great work he has done to form this great nation called the USA.
My point is this -Christmas is a day people celebrate as Christ’s birthday- the incarnation of the eternal Son of God into this world. However, our remembrance and celebration of His birthday becomes colorful and meaningful only when we remember and honor what Christ has done for the lost and helpless people. People are lost and helpless to come to the holy presence of God because of their sin nature. But Bible says God gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him (Christ) should (never, never )perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:16.
You see the incarnation or the birth of Christ also becomes meaningful only when we understand what Christ has accomplished for us.

The extent of Christ’s poverty to make us rich was indescribable

Bible says about Christ, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, that you through his poverty might become rich.” (2 Corinthians 8:9).
The passage reminds the readers the Lord Jesus Christ was so rich. But for your sake, He became poor by coming into this sin-bound world. Why He became poor? The passage says ‘that you through His poverty might become rich.’

You see, While Christ was in heaven all through the eternity past and He was so rich “being existed as in the form of God and being in equal with God. But it also says there -But He emptied himself, taking the form of a bond-servant and he made Himself in the likeness of man. He Humbles Himself by being obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Phillippians 2:6-8).
John, one of the closest disciples of Jesus Christ says about Christ in this way, “And the Word (Christ) became flesh, and lived among us; and we [actually] saw His glory, glory as belongs to the [One and] only begotten Son of the Father, [the Son who is truly unique, the only One of His kind, who is] full of grace and truth (absolutely free of deception). John testified [repeatedly] about Him and has cried out [testifying officially for the record, with validity and relevance], “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has a higher rank than I and has priority over me, for He existed before me.’” For out of His fullness [the superabundance of His grace and truth] we have all received grace upon grace [spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing, favor upon favor, and gift heaped upon gift]. (Amplified Bible).

Christ is the eternal Word (eternal Son of God). He became flesh like you and me to become like one of us so that he can pay for our sins and iniquities. By paying for our sins with His blood on the cross, He re-established our fellowship and friendship with the Holy God. John says he, other disciples and people saw Christ’s glory as the only begotten Son of the Father God. He was full of grace and truth. For out of Christ we have received grace upon grace, spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessings, favor upon favor from God. Christ is God’s gift heaped upon gift.
John testified in his epistle his letter 1 John 1: 1 that he and others heard Christ, have seen Him with their own eyes, touched with their own hands.

Get clues from how Christ is commemorated, celebrated and worshipped in heaven.

The Book of Revelation, the last book of the Bible gives us a picture of the celebration and worship of Christ in heaven.

Christ is commemorated, celebrated and worshipped in heaven. This is shown in Revelation 5. Christ is celebrated as the ‘Lion that is from the tribe of Judah’. It says the ‘Lion from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals. Here the picture of Christ is not even as a human being. He is portrayed as the Lion- with the awesome power and strength that can conquer others. Lion is the king in the animal world. There is not other king in the forest. I am sure you remember one of the best movies for children that came out of Walt Disney. The majesty, authority and kingship of the Lion. Of course, the ‘Lion from the tribe of Judah’ is a fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies about the coming ruler and king of the world. (refer Genesis 49:10). It says there, “The scepter shall not depart from Judah. Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet until Shiloh comes (this means to whom it belongs). And to him (personal pronoun) shall be the obedience of the peoples.”
Jesus Christ is the promised ruler and king of the people of the world who was prophesied several hundreds of year before His first advent. But He is also the Messiah and savior of the whole world. To Him (Christ) shall be the obedience of all people.
But the promised ruler and king of the whole world came as the Messiah,lamb and savior of the world in his first advent. This is also portrayed in Revelation 5 as a lamb that was slain. The lamb is the most humble animal. It won’t fight back like other animals. Bible says in Isaiah 53:7, “He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth.” Christ came as the lamb on his first coming on the first Christmas day. The picture of a lamb brings to our mind the old testament sacrificial system where lambs are sacrificed for the sins of the people until the true God’s lamb came into this world. There is no need for sacrificing lamb now for the remission of our sins. Why? Because John introduced Jesus Christ to this world in this was in John 1:29, “The next day he (John the Baptist) saw Jesus coming to him, and said, “Behold (look attentively), the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” Jesus Christ was the fulfillment of ceremonial law. No more lamb or any other sacrifice need now for the remission of people’s sins.
In Christ’s first coming, He came into this world as Lamb of God who takes away our sin issue and problem and reconciles with the holy God. In His second coming of Christ in near future, He will be Lion from the tribe of Judah. The lion who is strong, horrible to stand next to, with all His power and authority.

My friend, the true Christmas message is not just about the infant in Bethelem. But it reminds us the big picture of what He has done for you and me. You can come to Christ today because He is the Lamb of God. He gave his life and blood to pay for all your sins. You don’t need to carry the burden of your sins and transgressions anymore. Christ the Lamb of God paid all in full for you. You can be saved eternally if you would understand this truth and call upon the name of Jesus Christ today.

Do you know you can become rich much beyond your imagination and comprehension?

Now, if you neglect what He has done for you, his poverty, His cruel death, and bloodshed for your sins and to make you right with holy God, then one day pretty soon, you will have to stand in front of a fearful, the most powerful, authoritative Lion from the tribe of Judah and give account of all your sins in front of a holy God. You need a savior and Christ is the only savior and there is none out there like Jesus who shed His blood to save you from sin’s penalties and punishment.  Please come to the Lamb of God, Christ and get saved before it gets late.
Because Christ became poor in coming down to this world and gave Himself as a ransom for your sins by even shedding his holy and precious blood, you and me can become rich much beyond our imagination and comprehension-with things that are not available to purchase anywhere else- the full and complete forgiveness of all your sins- past, present and future, don’t need to face condemnation and judgment from a holy God for your wrong doings, eternal life in heaven with the holy God at the moment of your death. All these blessings make you richer than the most richest billionaire of the world. Bible says in Ephesian 1:3 that “God and Father our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly place in and through Jesus Christ.”
Prayer time.
Please pray after me. “God I come to you in prayer. I know and admit that I am a sinner and I need a savior. I believe Jesus Christ was the Lamb of God who was sacrificed for my sins and wrongdoings. I am sorry for my sins. I accept Jesus Christ as my savior today. Please save me. Amen.”

If you prayed this prayer, please visit www.teachbible.org and go to contact/prayer tab and send me a note. I will be thrilled to hear from you. Please locate a Bible teaching and preaching church in your area and start learning Bible. May the good and loving Lord richly bless you.