I have been thinking a lot about why Christmas is so important. Of course there is the commercial side of it with all of the presents and the fact that most people make it a time to share with family, which is good. But I am talking about the Christ part. Why do we celebrate the birth of a baby, who was born over 2,000 years ago? Why did so many prophets prophesy of His birth and life years before? Then better question, why would I choose to not spend this Christmas with my family because of this Man?
This morning I
decided to study in the scriptures to find some answers or at least
scriptural answers to my questions. Because this matter is of such
greatness I thought I would share. My thoughts may not be complete or
flow smoothly, but I hope that you might be able to catch a glimpse of
how I feel about the Christmas season.
"Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." (Isaiah 7:14).
I learned that Immanuel, or Emmanuel, in Hebrew means "with us is God."
This prophet was prophesying that Jesus was actually going to be in our
physical presence. We can read about how God was with the Children of
Israel when they wandered in the wilderness, but He wasn't physically
with them or with any of the people until He was born. Which brings up
another interesting thing, that He was born as a child; and in the
lowliest and humble of places, a stable. 
"And behold, he shall be born of Mary, at Jerusalem which is the land of our forefathers, she being a virgin, a precious and chosen vessel, who shall be overshadowed and conceive by the power of the Holy Ghost, and bring forth a son, yea, even the Son of God." (Alma 7:10).
We believe that we are all literally sons and daughters of God, but
that Jesus was the only Begotten of the Father in the flesh.
"and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6). But even with all of these glorious names, He still came and suffered.
"The Son of Man hath descended below
them all." (Doctrine and Covenants 122:8). To me this means that Jesus
had to go below all to accurately know how to help us. Think of the
lowest of lows that you have ever felt. He knows exactly how that felt,
and more.
It was prophesied what He would do.
"I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death" (Hosea 13:14).
"And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the
bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their
infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the
flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities. Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him
the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions
according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold, this is the
testimony which is in me." (Alma 7:11-13). He came so that we could turn
to Him. We all make mistakes and we all fall short, but through Him,
those mistakes can be erased. We can be made clean, so that we could
return to live in the presence of our Heavenly Father. His love for us,
and His desire for our happiness is why He came. Because He knew that
there was no other way for us as imperfect beings to return to
the presence of perfect beings, unless someone stepped up to help us
out. And that is what He did!
There
are a few people who are puzzled by the fact that I will not be home
for Christmas. Yet the reason for Christmas is the reason that I am here
serving a mission. It is because of the knowledge of Christ that I
have, the joy that I feel that is too good to keep to myself. "Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have been called of him to declare his word among his people, that they might have everlasting life." (3 Nephi 5:13).
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