Christmas means many different things to many different people all over the world.  

对于世界各地不同的人们来说，圣诞节有着不同的含义。

To some it is just a time of the year when we see many colorful decorations appear in the stores and in some homes.

有的人只是把它看作一年中商店里和人们家里张灯结彩的一个节日。

To others it is a time when selfishness takes over and their thoughts are on“I wonder what I will get for presents”.

对于有的人来说，这是一年中自私想法大行其道，满脑子琢磨着该得到什么样的礼物的日子。

To others it is a celebration of worshipping false Gods.

有些人则在这一天向他们心中虚无飘渺的众神祈祷、祷告。

To some it is a very sad and depressing time of the year because they are alone and have no family to celebrate with and they see the joy and excitement all around them.

而对于另一些人来说，这是他们一年中伤心难过的时候，因为没有亲人的陪伴，他们在咀嚼别人幸福和快乐的同时感到寂寞无比。

Christmas is a title given to a day that Christians celebrate in remembrance of the birth of Jesus Christ,the Son of God.

圣诞节，应该是这样一个日子，一个基督徒用来纪念主的儿子－耶稣基督诞生的日子

However, Christmas is much more than that.  Christmas, though celebrated as a certain day of the year, is really a celebration of a lifestyle.  A lifestyle reflecting the love of God poured out upon a depraved,desolate and devastated world.

但是，圣诞节有着更为深刻的含义，虽然只是一年中一个特定的节日，但它蕴涵着人们对一种人生的赞美。这样的人生充满了主对这个颓废、冷漠、衰败的世界的无私之爱。

On the eve of the first Christmas, there was no peace between God and man.There was no lasting hope,no divine forgiveness of sin, no eternal life,no enduring light, no Messiah or Savior.The situation appeared impossible to change.There were many disappointments and most dreams of a brighter future were shattered.

在耶稣基督降生之前，在这个世界里，神和人类难以和睦相处，希望难以持久、罪过难以饶恕、生命难以永恒、光明难以恒久、更没有弥赛亚和耶稣基督的存在。而这一切似乎都难以逆转，人们失望之极，所有美好的愿望都难以实现。

In the midst of this darkness of “what was not” and “what could never be” came the birth of “Immanuel”, which means “God with us”.  

就在这“不为”和“不能为”的混沌而黑暗的世界里，耶稣基督—即以马内利（意为“神与我们同在”）降生了。

God said through the prophet Isaiah –9:6 – 7

“For to us a child is born, to us a Son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders.  And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end.He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom,establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.”

主在先知以赛亚书9:6 – 7中说：

“因有一婴孩为我们而生、有一子赐给我们。政权必担在他的肩头上。他名称为奇妙、策士、全能的神、永在的父、和平的君。”
“他的政权与平安必加增无穷。他必在大卫的宝座上，治理他的国，以公平公义使国坚定稳固，从今直到永远。万君之耶和华的热心，必成就这事。”

The light of the God-man, Jesus Christ, shone upon creation and brought into existence goodness, righteousness and holiness.

在主的儿子—耶稣基督的光芒下，仁慈、正直和神圣应运而生。

With the birth of this Child, nothing would ever be the same again.  With His birth, along with His saving life and death for us, Jesus Christ turned the “what was not” and what could never be” into “What is” and “What can be”.

His birth turned hostility into peace, hopelessness into hope, darkness into light, condemnation into salvation, unforgiveness into forgiveness, death into life, divine anger into divine love, impossibilities into possibilities.

耶稣基督的降生，一切都已改变。随他的降生，随他挽救生命并为我们而死，耶稣基督化“不为”和“不能为”变成了“有为”和“有所为”。

他的降生化敌意为友善，化不宽恕为宽恕，化死亡为新生，化仇恨为挚爱,不可能为可能。

Jesus’ birth did this because He is Peace, He is Life, He is the Word that brings something out of nothing, He is Savior, He is the Christ, the Lord, the Mighty God.

基督的降生将这一切变为可能。他是和平、是生命、是让一切变为可能之道。他就是救世主，就是耶稣基督，就是上帝，就是万能的主。

Christmas is a celebration of“The Word became flesh and dwelled among us”.

For through His birth, life, death, and resurrection, all that was not and could never be, now is and can be.  

圣诞节是庆祝“道成了肉身并住在我们中间”的这一刻，因为他的降生，生命、死亡和重生，任何不为和不能为之事都变为了为和能为之事。

When we become a born again Christian we are forgiven, holy and pure in God's sight.We are loved, cherished, and accepted by God.We have security, purpose and a future because of Jesus.

当我们作为基督徒降生人世，我们在主耶和华的监督下被宽恕、变得圣洁而纯净。我们被关爱、被珍惜、并为主所接受。正因为有了耶稣，我们感到安全、不再迷茫并满怀信心。

During the Christmas season many voices remind us of what is not and of what we don't have and what we cannot do. However, if we will reflect on the love of God and His ways, we will never have to be alone again. We can live in love and victory.

圣诞来临之际，我们常常会被一些未兢之事所困扰，但是，当我们想到主所施之仁爱和主的道，我们就不会再孤独。我们将被爱和胜利包围。

 In the gospel of John 3:16 & 17 it says

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.

For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”

在约翰福音3：16-17中说：“神爱世人，甚至将他的独生子赐给他们，叫一切信他的，不至灭亡，反得永生。”

因为神差他的儿子降世，不是要定世人的罪，（或作审判世人下同）乃是要叫世人因他得救。

If this Christmas season finds you secure in the love of Christ, rejoice.

However, if you are living in the world of “What is not”and“what can not be”and want to live in the realm of“What is and what can be”it is very easy.

如果圣诞节能够让你发现自己生活在耶稣基督的仁爱之中，那么恭喜你。如果你觉得“不为”和“不能为”并且想“有为”和“有所能为”时，那很简单。

In Romans 10:9 it says

“That if you confess with your mouth,Jesus is Lord,and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

在罗马书10：9中说：“你若口里认耶稣为主，心里信神叫他从死里复活，就必得救。”

And in Luke 15:10 it says

“In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

在路加福音15：10中也说:“我告诉你们，一个罪人悔改，在神的使者面前，也是这样为他欢喜。”

Why not make the angels rejoice in heaven tonight as they did on that night in Bethlehem when Jesus was born. Repent from your sin of disbelieving God and confess with your mouth that “Jesus is Lord “and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead and join the family of God.

那么今晚，让神的使者也像耶稣在伯利恒降生的那晚一样欢喜吧！虔诚地忏悔怀疑主的存在，并口里认耶稣为主，并从心里坚信是神让他死里重生，并重回到神的怀抱。

Christmas is all about new birth. The celebration of the night that “Immanuel” was born. Giving the world, new life, love and hope that it never knew before.

圣诞节源于新生。是纪念耶稣基督（或上帝与我们同在）降生的那个夜晚，那个给予世界前所未有的新生、仁爱和希望的夜晚。