Yes, Christmas is here despite everything happening around us.
In the midst of the noise, the pressure, the uncertainty, the global headlines, and the personal battles many may be carrying quietly, one truth remains unchanged:
Christmas is still about Christ.
That truth does not shift with time, circumstance, or season. Yet, if we are honest, many are still coming to terms with the true reason for the season that Christ came to give us life, and life more abundantly. (That is Christianity 101).
So today, using Matthew chapters 1 and 2 as my anchor, allow me to go a little deeper.
And yes… grab your cup of chai ☕🙂
Let us have some Christmas soul food together.
To My Non-Christian Friends (Yes, I See You 😊)
Let me begin with you, my dear friends.
Allow me to rephrase part of the Christmas story in a simple but powerful way:
The wise men followed the star, found the child Jesus just as the angel had announced, worshipped Him, and presented their gifts. After encountering Him, they took a different route back home.
But what stands out to me most is this:
They left full of joy.
Does that sound familiar?
Because that is exactly what Jesus still does today.
He came to deliver us from the bondage of sin and death and to usher us into life — abundant life. And part of that abundant life is the joy of salvation.
In Psalm 51:12, King David cried out:
“Restore to me the joy of your salvation…”
That tells us something profound: This joy matters. It is central.
Now let me ask you something.
Have you ever attended a birthday celebration uninvited?
How did that feel?
A little awkward… right?
So why would we celebrate Christmas with the food, the outfits, the holiday trips, the gifting, the decorations, and the festivities yet have no relationship whatsoever with the Birthday Boy?
Leave alone His family.
Christmas is not just a holiday to observe.
It is an invitation to encounter a Person.
Before you celebrate the day, seek to know Him. As Lord and Saviour. Seek to know Christ.
Then celebrate His birth not only with His family your brothers and sisters in Christ but most importantly, with Him living in you. That is salvation, That is relationship. That is the real Christmas gift.
And believe me when I say:
Matthew 6:33
“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
This may just be the moment to pause…
And simply say: “Jesus, come into my heart. Be my Lord. Be my Savior.”
To My Christian Friends 😊
Now, to my fellow believers those of us who have already received Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour Christmas must go beyond celebration into transformation.
Yes, Christ was born for us.
But the deeper question is:
Is His divine nature being born in us?
That is where the true work begins.
What character of Jesus are you trusting God to form in you this season?
Let us go boldly to the throne of grace and ask Him for it.
Christmas is not just about remembering that Jesus came.
It is about allowing His life to be expressed through us.
what is the point of celebrating His birth if His nature is not being born in us?
Now for My Favourite Part… and the One That Made Me Swallow Hard 😅
There is a part of the Christmas story in Matthew 2 that always arrests me.
Through a dream, the angel warned Joseph to take the child Jesus and Mary to safety because of Herod. Joseph obeyed. He moved them. Later, the angel would again signal when it was safe to return after Herod’s death.
Now let me be honest…
This is the part where I have historically swallowed my hardened saliva 😅
Yes, you heard me correctly.
Because my natural mind has often asked:
Why would God the Creator of heaven and earth allow His one and only Son to be moved around for safety because of an earthly king? Why not strike Herod dead immediately?
If you are anything like me, by now you may also be asking:
Who exactly did Herod think he was?
And eventually, I found the strength to ask the first Person I should have asked from the beginning the Holy Spirit.
Before swallowing any more hardened saliva 😄
So I asked:
“Holy Spirit, why was Herod not punished severely for his actions?”
And the Holy Spirit gently reminded me:
God is love and He remains love forever.
Jesus came to save the world, not to condemn it.
That revelation corrected my heart.
If God did not strike Herod dead in that moment, what makes us think He will endorse our hatred, bitterness, revenge, or resentment toward those we call enemies… or simply those who disagree with us? Sema kichapwo! 😅
That one landed deeply.Christmas reminds us that Love came down to be admired, received, embodied, and extended.
Dear Lord, help me to love the way You love.
The Real Soul Food of Christmas: Love
One of my favourite lines comes from Translating God by Shawn Bolz:
“See what God sees, hear what God hears and speak what God speaks so we can all love the way God loves.”
What a powerful charge.
Friends, I truly believe Christmas is all about the love of God.But divine love.
We cannot genuinely say we love God if we do not love our neighbours as we love ourselves.
Christmas is not only about celebrating the birth of Christ in Bethlehem.
It is about allowing the nature of Christ to be born in our hearts, our homes, our churches, and yes even in the marketplace.
My Christmas Prayer for You
As you celebrate the birth of our Lord, may His divine nature be born afresh in you.
May you not only remember that Christ came .May you experience why He came.
“May the Divine Nature of the Lord be born in you as you celebrate His birth.”
— Caroline N. Mbanacho
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Shalom.