Year after year and day after day, God has been protecting us with His mercy and grace so that we have to worship in Spirit and Truth. Moreover, for bringing us into this month of Joy, to God alone be all the glory. In our faith journey, we practice adoration in many different ways. Worship takes place according to time and situation. Since God is Spirit, Jesus said that those who praise Him truly worship in spirit and truth (John 4:24). During the days when Jesus, the Saviour of the world, was born, many people glorified Christ while He was still a child.

The Heavenly Host

God, whose dwelling place is heaven, came to live on earth as a human being. He dwells in unapproachable light and is immortal (1 Timothy 6:16). Such a God of gods was seen and glorified by those who came down from heaven. They praised God and worshipped Him, saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests” (Luke 2:14).

The Shepherds

The angel of the Lord announced the birth of Jesus to the shepherds, comforted them when they were afraid, and led them to worship the Christ Child. The Lord has made these events known to us. The shepherds said to one another, “Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened,” and they went and worshipped the Lord (Luke 2:16,17).

The Wise Men

When the Lord was born, a wonderful star appeared in the sky. Observing this, the wise men from the East set out to praise Jesus, the King of kings. When they saw the star, they rejoiced greatly. They entered the house, saw the child with His mother Mary, fell and worshipped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh (Matthew 2:10,11).

Praise brings blessings – Worship in spirit and truth

Beloved believers, in this final month of the year (the Christmas month), we have meditated on the worship of the heavenly host, the worship of the shepherds, and the worship offered by the wise men. Just like them, we too must exalt the Lord.

Moses and Aaron again spoke to Pharaoh about worship. Pharaoh did not allow it and tried to prevent them from going. In Exodus 5:3, they said, “If we do not go and worship in spirit and truth the Lord our God, we may face plagues or the sword.” In order that God’s sword may not come upon them, Moses and Aaron told Pharaoh that they must go and praise the Lord.

Joshua, the mighty warrior, declared, “As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15). Cornelius, the centurion of the Italian regiment, was a God-fearing man, and so were all the members of his household.

In the Bible, worship and adoration are clearly mentioned. We consider Christmas as a day to worship in spirit and truth. Prophetically, many times and through many prophets, the birth of Jesus Christ was foretold. Just as it was written in prophecy, the child Jesus Christ came into this world for us, fulfilling those prophecies. The heavenly hosts, the shepherds, and the wise men came to the child, greeted Him, knelt before Him, glorified Him, bowed down, and honoured Him. That is Christmas.

Prsise brings victory.

Before the birth of Jesus Christ, between 470 – 480 BC, as written in the book of Esther, there was a plot to destroy the Jewish people. But God rescued them. In remembrance of this deliverance, the Jews celebrated a festival called Purim (Esther 9:26–32). On that day, they exchanged gifts with friends and celebrated together as families, relatives, and loved ones.

In the same way, so that we would not perish, God gave us His Son. This Christmas season is the time to worship Him in spirit and in truth. Therefore, let us joyfully spend time together with our friends, family, well-wishers, and unite in worshipping God in spirit and truth.

In this Christmas season, exalt the lord. Let us be those who receive God’s blessings. From the beginning of the year to the end of the year, may God’s blessings be with all of you! Amen!