Welcome back to our series, “Pasko na Naman? Pasko Na!”

Ang Salita ay naging tao at nanirahan sa piling namin. Nakita namin ang kaluwalhatiang tunay na kanya bilang kaisa-isang Anak ng Ama. Siya ay puspos ng kagandahang-loob at ng katotohanan.

Juan 1:14

Christmas is one of the most celebrated holidays in the whole world. Sa bansang Japan, the fast food chain KFC is the main star, where people line up and even have to reserve their chicken for the occasion. Here in the Philippines, however, the spirit of celebration starts in September, around the time when the weather gets colder, and everyone starts to put up their decorations. Each family also has different ways of celebrating this holiday. Some focus on exchanging gifts, while others enjoy the food feast. One way or another, we see that Christmas is truly a joyous occasion.

Pero ano nga ba ang tunay na kahulugan ng Pasko? With all the lights and sounds, we may have lost the true essence of Christmas. We need to explore once more the true reason for the season. And that is no other than the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In Christianity, this event is what is called the Incarnation.

The term “Incarnation” denotes that Jesus took on human body. This act is so wonderful because Jesus didn’t just become human to experience and understand how we feel, but to give us the greatest gift — the gift of eternal life. This is the essence of John 3:16: God the Father sending His only Son Jesus to the world to become man like one of us to pay for our sins with His death on the cross. It was an act of humility and display of the love of God (Philippians 2:5–8).

May we never forget this wonderful truth: The reason for Christmas is that Christ gave Himself to save us. He did this so that we could be guaranteed the greatest gift of all — to be with Him in eternity. Let’s celebrate Christmas with Jesus in our hearts and in our homes!

Dalawang tulog na lang, Pasko na! May your Christmas be full of joy and hope because of our Savior Jesus Christ. Join us again tomorrow and be blessed!