The Right Emphasis

Matthew 1:21 – “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.”

A boy or girl may be able to rattle off with ease and accuracy the names of athletes and their statistics, but they may have a terrible time remembering what they read in history or geography books. They don’t yet have the sense of values in proper order. Even among adults we see this tendency to place the emphasis on things that are of lesser value. Many people spend hours with the newspaper or online, reading the comics, the sports pages, and the accounts of accidents and crimes, but pay very little or no attention to the serious discussions which deal with international tensions or domestic issues.

It is even more tragic that most people consider temporal things to be of greater importance than eternal realities. During the Christmas season, for example, much more time is spent on the trivial things – preparing for parties, selecting decorations, and shopping for gifts – than in meditating upon the real meaning of Christ’s birth. In fact, you may even make nativity scenes and engage in some of the sentiment about the Christmas story without knowing the real spiritual significance of the event. The angel said, “Thou shalt call his name JESUS; for He shall save His people from their sins.” This is the heart and meaning of Christ’s coming: the truth that the eternal Son of God came to this earth to pay the price for sin and destroy the power of death! Let us concentrate on this blessed truth this Christmas.

Today, settle the all-important question, “Have I received Jesus Christ as my Savior?” This is the right emphasis! Then, having done so, you will truly honor Him this Christmas season. Where is your emphasis?