Christmas then and now

This season is a great time to look back at the historical account of what happened in the original Christmas.

Many knew Jesus was coming. Herod’s advisers knew the Messiah was coming. The innkeeper who refused to shelter the young couple knew Jesus was coming.

On that special night, the shepherds saw Jesus. The shepherds heard the announcement, not the powerful and the rich.

Shepherds were despised in the society because they were dirty and possibly smelly. They would bring their sheep and goats home and sleep beside them.

I heard a story involving a businessman and a shepherd in conversation.

The businessman asked the shepherd, “How could you sleep beside a goat?” And the shepherd answered, “Well, eventually the goat will get used to me.”

Jesus was born and put in a borrowed manger. Jesus died and was buried in a borrowed grave.  God humbled Himself, yet this was overlooked by many. Jesus personified humility, yet man remained proud.

The original Christmas is so different from the commercial Christmas we see today.

• How much is your Christmas spending this year compared to last year? That’s pride.

• What did he get you for Christmas this year? That’s pride.

• My Christmas wish for this year is to have a brand new car. That’s pride.

We are all guilty of this.

Though Jesus appeared to the shepherds, there were some renowned men who also paid homage. They were the kings of the East.

By today’s standards, people who are in business are far wealthier compared to the kings of the past. They rode on donkeys and traveled in groups. We have our Bimmer, Audi and Porsche. Small donkeys have been replaced by cars.

But then, would we travel thousands of miles to pay Him tribute? Would we even wake up a little early on Sunday morning, travel a few kilometers and pay tribute to the King in Church? Not many of the “kings” would do so, but they will wake up early to play golf.

You cannot separate the Christmas message from the Resurrection message.

The purpose as to why He came was for God to occupy a human body and live just like us so He can die sinless for all of our sins. How’s that for a Christmas gift? That’s humility.

There is a big difference between being religious and being spiritual. The religious rejected Jesus because He broke all convention. Legalistic people hate that. They want control. They cannot stand others challenging their belief. Their carefully crafted persona of super-religiosity cannot be challenged. This was why they plotted to kill the Messiah.

Meanwhile, the seekers and searchers have spiritual longing. They know that the hole inside their heart cannot be filled with mere beliefs or philosophy; it can only be filled with the presence of the Living God. The Samaritan woman evangelized. The woman of ill-repute worshipped at His feet. One of the thieves was able to join the last trip.

This is why Christmas is hope and salvation for sinners like us. It’s not about a bearded old man wearing a big red pajama while distributing gifts.

The greatest gift of all is this: the One that was born to die for us. This is Christmas.

This is why I never say Happy Holidays. Instead, I say Blessed Christmas. This is why Christmas is special to me and my family because it reminds us of hope.

Well, that’s just me. What do I know? I am no theologian, I’m just a business person blessed with the knowledge that there is eternal hope.

Allow me to greet all of you a Blessed Christmas. And let us all hope for a meaningful New Year.

(Start the New Year right with Francis Kong learning leadership and life skills as he presents Level Up Leadership on Jan. 21-22 at EDSA Shangri-La Hotel. For further inquiries, contact Inspire at 09158055910 or call 632-6310912 for details.)