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Questions

Christians around the world celebrate the birth of Jesus on Christmas. What is the cartoonist’s intended meaning? (Who is Jesus? How is Jesus the greatest gift?)


Scroll down to the bottom of the page for the answers.

Cartoon by Tom Stiglich

Answers

The Bible tells us Jesus was the Son of God, who came down from heaven to give us the greatest gift any person can ever receive — the gift of eternal life.

By nature we are separated from God because of our sins, but Jesus, God’s son, came to earth for every person, to take away our sins; those who acknowledge that and ask God to forgive our sins – to save us – will have eternal life with God. The Bible says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23).

From the Bible, read about the birth of Jesus in Luke 1 and 2 and Matthew 1 and 2; and in Isaiah 53 from the Old Testament. (see a passage below).

Read the book of John for the entire story of Jesus.

FROM LUKE 2:8-20:
Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.  And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.  Then the angel said to them,

“Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.  For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

“Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another,  “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child.  And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. … Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.