Children love gifts. They look forward to receive gifts during this time of the year. In fact, it is this sense of expectation that makes Christmas special.
It is said that there was such a sense of expectation in the air during the time of the birth of Jesus. His coming meant that God came down to be with us. In a special sense God came near to us in Jesus.
Yes, he came for you and me!
The great distance between a holy God and we sinners was bridged in Jesus. It was as if God were saying “I want to be friends with you!”
Yes, he came for you and me!
Therefore the gift of Christmas is about the presence of God with us. It is a gift that was given with an everlasting love. Because of this gift, life puts on a new meaning:
So here is a gift you are given for free. No need to read the price tag. It is beyond our ability to pay. I am talking about the ultimate sacrifice Jesus made on the cross where he shed his innocent blood for the sins of all.
Therefore let us celebrate Christmas by thanking God for his indescribable gift—the gift of God’s Son Jesus!
Have you ever wondered what the story that is told every Christmas is?
It is the story of Someone who came searching for you and me.
This story is one of hope.
It is so because the story tells us that we belong. It tells us that we are not forgotten or forsaken. Though there is something that is broken about us, though there are many patches showing in our hearts, there is someone who deeply cares for us.
This story is one of hope, I repeat again, because a Saviour came searching for you and me.
It is so because Christmas is the true story of God’s Son Jesus coming down to earth to become man. He came not because any one of us is perfect but instead all of us are sinners in need of a Saviour. Since it was not possible for man to save himself, God came down to be one like us to save us.
This story is one of hope because in Jesus, God came near to us.
For all those who deeply longed to know God, Jesus came declaring that anyone who has seen him has seen God as well. As Jesus freely mingled with all sorts of people in the marketplace and touched them with love and compassion, so also God longs to touch you with his love and forgiveness.
Finally, this story is one of hope because Jesus came to give us life.
This became possible because Jesus shed his blood on the cross and died for us. His precious blood that flowed cleanses and purifies man from all sin. Above all, he came back to life from the dead. He lives for ever.
Therefore there is hope for all men and women.
Because he lives, those who believe in him will also live for ever. This is the good news of great joy declared for all people at Christmas. It includes you and me.
Yes friends, Jesus came to give you a clean break from your past and give you a brand new beginning in life. Like the Star of Bethlehem that rose the first Christmas night when the child Jesus was born in a manger, may the light of this hope shine in your heart bright and clear.
This is a time of the year when people are singing all around the world. We hear many songs like Silent night, holy night; and Joy to the world. I am here to say a few words on what these songs are telling us. They are telling us about Christmas.
Christmas is all about the love of God. God so loved the world that he gave his Son for us. Jesus is thus God’s greatest gift to all of us.
Christmas is also a reminder of God’s humility. He chose a poor village girl named Mary who was a virgin to be the mother of Jesus.
When Jesus was born there was no room for him in the inn. So he was placed in a manger from which cattle fed. It tells us that Jesus is ready to come into any human heart which has room for him.
This is the good news of Christmas. God is ready to be our friend and Saviour. This message first came to the shepherds watching their flocks at night.
The glory of the Lord shone around them. They were afraid. But an angel told them not to be afraid because he was bringing them the good news of the birth of the Saviour in Bethlehem.
Suddenly a choir of angels came and they sang the first carol: “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men on whom his favour rests.” This first song of Christmas tells us that Jesus is the Prince of Peace. Those who trust in him will find peace with God.
A bright shining star rose in the sky to tell people far away of the birth of Jesus. Wise Men who saw the star came from far away to see the child born a king. They came and bowed down and worshipped Jesus. They also presented him with gifts of gold, incense and myrrh. Yes, even today, wise men and women still seek Jesus and find him.
It is when you find Jesus that your heart is filled with joy. All celebrations of Christmas are an expression of this joy. We have this joy in our hearts because Jesus is our Immanuel. It means God is with us.
So this Christmas, let us all join together to sing and praise God. Let us all join together to tell everyone that God is deeply in love with this world. Let the burning candles and shining Christmas lights tell the world that God’s love is still shining in this dark world.
Yes, there is hope for all men and women. Whatever be your situation in life, God can make a big difference. That is Christmas. I wish you all the peace and joy of Christmas. May God bless you with the best gifts of heaven this Christmas. Thank you.
Every drop of blood
The Saviour shed
Was for you my dear—
None else to him counted more dear.
He was lifted high
For all the world to see;
That One Sacrifice For all our sins to bleed.
It cost him much
To gain the pardon
That would set us free
From death’s grip for all eternity.
The cross still stands
At all life’s crossroads
Asking you and me:
“What more should have I done for you?
In his eyes
I saw that look
Of love’s gentle light.
It stripped my soul
Naked and bare
And lit up all past
Snapshots of remote access.
It was quite unlike
The vulturous looks
Of those who tore apart
My flesh; and left me empty
Like the beer cans that littered the streets.
And then came the time
When grey hair and wrinkled skin
Took away my charm.
And those who used to come
Turned the other way
Even the birds of prey.
Though it was for pleasure
That I first took my plunge
Into the dimly lit dancing halls;
Now I know it was lust’s appetite
That led me through sin’s dark alleys
And made me go down the slimy pit
From which I saw no escape.
But now I stood before the man
Who looked at me with deep sad eyes!
And gentle, like a dove!
Then I saw myself
For all I was worth
For his eyes spelled love
Never known to me before.
Here was a Man
Who bore the prints of nail
That pierced his flesh
And bled to wash away all filth—
That to my skirts clung even after laundry.
The silence of this Lamb;
Even when all my past
Had so deeply wounded him
Took me off guard;
And made me kneel
Before his Majesty.
It was sacrifice
That made love so costly dear
And showed me that earth’s
Finest gifts cannot match
The love that forgave
And asked nothing in return—But
My heart I give to you, Oh, my Valentine!
Short Speeches of Introduction, Welcome, Felicitation, Vote of Thanks!
“To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, . . . to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.” — St. John (Revelation 1:5, 6).
Hope of a better tomorrow;
a brand new beginning in life today;
and a clean break from the failures of the past
is what Christmas is all about.
Its message is life-changing.
This message came to us not as a printed text or spoken word which is difficult to understand; instead this message came to us as a child born in a manger in Bethlehem! Yes, a child, a Saviour, was born to tell us that God cared enough to dirty his feet in earthly soil.
He came as someone who could be seen and touched
and with whom people could enjoy intimate friendship.
He ate with people; talked with them and cried with them in their sorrows.
Therefore,
In him, people experienced God near.
In him, the great distance between sinful man and a holy God was bridged. In him, sinners found a friend!
This is the great hope Jesus gifted this world with;that all those who believe in him might live for ever!
Yes friends, it is the faint glimpse of this hope that is reflected in the tradition of unwrapping of gifts at Christmas: A sense of wonder at what the future holds; expecting something as nice as the gift one would get. But often expectations are not met. Many are disappointed.
Few other words have touched the heart and influenced thought for generations than Jesus’ 7 sayings on the cross. Here we take a look at them from a public speaker’s perspective.
The Setting:
The scene that day was dramatic as well as cosmic.
Jesus was nailed to the cross and lifted high; hanging between earth and sky from 9 a.m. in the morning till the time of the evening sacrifice at 3 p.m.
There was a crown of thorns on his head and a written inscription above him which read, “Jesus of Nazareth, The King of the Jews.” While he lay on the cross, those who passed by hurled insults at him.
Unusually, there came darkness over all the land. Two criminals were also crucified with him, one on the right and another on his left. At the foot of the cross, Roman soldiers cast lots for his clothing.
A Public Speaker’s Perspective:
No man ever spoke so gracious words from such a stage. Here was the Saviour of the world, helpless, naked and bleeding. Such a setting and backdrop gives the utterances of Jesus from the cross a unique place in human history. For the audience was not just the crowds that had gathered, but both heaven and hell were eager witnesses to this event destined to change the lives of men and women, young and old and little children down through the centuries.
Saying #1
Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”
A Public Speaker’s Perspective:
An introduction that goes right into the heart of the subject is much appreciated by audiences. Here Jesus is clearly showing the purpose of his suffering. He was shedding his blood for the forgiveness of man’s sins. From a speaker’s perspective note also the confidence with which these words were spoken; the confidence that his words would be heard by his Father in heaven. Confidence born of conviction is an asset to any speaker on any given day; isn’t it?
Saying #2
Then he [one crucified criminal] said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”
This is the only one instance in the gospels where Jesus is addressed by his name alone without any other titles attached.
A Public Speaker’s Perspective:
Communicating hope is perhaps the highest calling of any speaker. Here the man is expressing his need to find salvation. Jesus is able to meet that need, assuring him of a place with him in paradise. Therefore that man died in hope; assured of a home in heaven for he had placed his faith on the King and his kingdom. In today’s world characterized by all kinds of fears and tensions and anxieties, if the speaker can communicate hope to the audience of a better and bright tomorrow; then he has done the world a great service indeed.
Saying #3
Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, . . . When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Dear woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.
A Public Speaker’s Perspective:
A speaker should exhibit care towards his audience. As it is said, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” Jesus, even in his moments of great agony, was ever mindful of the need of his mother to find rest and joy in some home the remainder of her days on earth. So also a speaker should be able to sense the unspoken needs of the crowd he is addressing and come up with a solution that shows he cares.
Saying #4
About the ninth hour [i.e. 3 p.m.] Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?”-which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
This is the only instance in the gospels where we find Jesus addressing his father as God instead of Abba which means Dear Father. The reason being that the entire sin of the world was now placed on him and for the first time Jesus was experiencing the separation that sin brings between God and man. The darkness that came over the whole land was a reflection of this inner struggle of Jesus as he the Sinless One was experiencing the wrath and judgement of God against sin for you and for me.
A Public Speaker’s Perspective:
A speaker has to identify himself with the audience.Here Jesus identifies with suffering humanity who constantly ask this question, “O God, why have you forsaken us?” Those who suffer unjustly find solace in this cry of Jesus knowing that he too passed through the dark night of the soul. When an audience knows that a speaker has experienced what they are going through, he gains greater credibility with them.
Saying #5
Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.”
A Public Speaker’s Perspective:
Many speakers find it difficult to open up before audiences. . They are afraid to share a story from their life. This is because they fear that if they are shown as weak, then audiences would not regard them in a favourable light. But Jesus was different. The tremendous loss of blood following the physical abuses that were heaped on him made his tongue stick to the roof of his mouth. So as a human being he made his weakness known. The lesson for a speaker is that he should never fail to highlight the common human aspect of his life and make it known to his audience. It is then that audiences warm up to a speaker.
Saying #6
When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.”
It is finished is one single word in Greek—tetelestai. At the end of the day when a person had completed the work that was assigned to him he would say tetelestai. When someone paid off a debt he owed, he was issued a receipt that was stamped with the word tetelestai, which meant paid in full. Jesus, by crying out tetelestai was saying, whatever his Father had sent him to do was now finished. His innocent blood had now been poured out for the forgiveness of sins. Nothing remained to be done for man’s salvation—anymore! It was all done by him. Therefore it was a victor’s shout, a cry of triumph. It is finished. Tetelestai.
A Public Speaker’s Perspective:
As we look at this from a public speaker’s perspective, many speakers who begin well end with a whimper. This is true not only of speech but also of life as well. A speaker should determine to finish strong, not only in his speech but in his life too. Jesus, knowing that he had fully paid for the sin of the world, said, “It is finished.” It was a cry of triumph. So also, a strong conclusion is a must for a great speech. Weak conclusions leave a weak impression in the minds of the audience. It frustrates them with a sense of incompleteness. But here we see Jesus finishing on a strong note.
Saying #7
Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last.
A Public Speaker’s Perspective:
A graceful exit is as much a thing of beauty as a great performance. A speech ideally should end on a positive note of looking forward with hope. In this last saying, Jesus is quoting a prayer which says “Into your hands I commit my spirit.” It was a prayer that every Jewish mother taught her child to say the last thing before he or she slept at night. Here, Jesus dies like a child falling asleep in his father’s arms. It was indeed a graceful exit.
Audience Perspective:
Ultimately the success of any communication depends on what the audience perceives about it. Though the vast majority in the crowd thought that Jesus’ life had ended in failure, a centurion of the Roman army who was in charge of the crucifixion was moved by Jesus’ death. The gospels record thus: “And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, `Surely this man was the Son of God!’ ”
Short Speeches of Introduction, Welcome, Felicitation, Vote of Thanks!
Note: The quotes used in this blog post are taken from the four Gospel accounts about Jesus Christ taken from the New International Version of the Bible: Inscription, John 19:19. The seven sayings, Luke 23:34, Luke 23:42, 43, John 19:25-27, Matthew 27:46, John 19:28, John 19:30, Luke 23:46. Centurion, Mark 15:39. Jesus’ Perspective, John 12:32.
