Why do I celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ in the month of December? To the best of my knowledge, shepherds did not keep watch over their flocks by night late in December, in the area of Bethlehem; it would have been too cold. But we join, at year’s end, with many Christians from around the world, in celebrating His coming into the world.
What is the true meaning of Christmas? Living in accordance with the gift of eternal life given to us by the Son of God, Jesus Christ. It is in forgiving and being forgiven, improving, in giving, and learning and loving, and in hoping that many others will enjoy all the blessings that we have received.
The full light of His coming into the world lives in his resurrection, after suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane and giving his life for us on the cross. Consider the following lines from “Through my Savior:”
Now in the morning of shadow waning,
Like when the light of morning filled a tomb,
Grant us forgiveness: both giving, gaining;
Fill us with light: Dispel avenging gloom.
Once in a garden the blood was dropping;
Once on a cross the voice of mercy said:
“Oh my Father, forgive my brother;
I forgive him with the blood I shed.”
Only a few days [earlier], a boy from Erin’s class at school had died in a car accident. She had seen a lot of people crying at the funeral, and she had cried a lot herself. She hadn’t known the boy that well, but Erin knew his family loved him as much as her family loved her. She felt scared to know that something like that could happen to someone her age. . . .
The story ended, and a recording of the prophet’s voice came over the loudspeaker. He bore his testimony and read a scripture from the Bible: “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:22). . . .
The scripture said that everyone would die—young people, old people—everyone. Erin knew that, of course, but she hadn’t thought about it much before. She thought she was too young to think about such things. But she wasn’t too young to have a testimony of the truth: because of Jesus Christ, everyone would live again.
