The
Christmas Message of the President, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), His
Eminence, Rev Dr Samson ‘Supo Ayokunle.
Another
Christmas is here when we celebrate the birth of the Messiah, the best gift
from God. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever
believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” It is the celebration
of Immanuel, God who is with us. Christmas is also the celebration of the Word
that “became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of
the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). His birth
was a sign from God. “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold,
the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel”
(Isaiah 7:14).
On behalf of
the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), I wish all Christians a merry
Christmas. It is my prayer that your joy will be full and your desires met in
the name of Jesus. I am aware that we are in a hard time. Rice is not available
and where it is, it is not within the reach of common people because of its
price. It is a passing phase and very soon, the God who ended the unprecedented
economic depression in Samaria will surely give us victory over our challenges.
We are all
happy for the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ today for coming to the world for
our redemption, but that did not come without a sacrifice of love from our
Father God, from our Lord Jesus Christ and from Mary and Joseph. They all paid
the sacrifices for the joy of the rest of us.
I want every
Nigerian to know that our present challenges will be the springboard for our
full joy of Christmas. The first Christmas was also full of pains and
sacrifices or challenges before the Saviour was born. God the Father had to part
with His Son by sending Him to us for our redemption. The Saviour, our Lord
Jesus Christ had to humble Himself by putting on the flesh, allowing Himself to
be conceived by ordinary mortal, a virgin called Mary for nine months. He
walked on the streets and experienced human limitations. For example, He became
hungry like us, suffered pain and received insults from humans, just like us.
Furthermore,
Mary herself bore the ridicule of a conception that she was chosen to carry and
had to accept it because it was beyond her control. She must have received
knocks from the ignorant many, who thought they knew more than her, but in
truth didn’t understand the divine action in her life. She bore the pain of
pregnancy for nine months.
We need to
remember our hero, Joseph, who was first disappointed in Mary (his fiancée),
when he saw her pregnant thinking she committed fornication. He was told to
take this pregnant lady to himself and take care of her and the baby to be
born, and he did so. That was not easy at all. Besides, he was told never to
touch Mary who was now living with him, until she delivered the baby. How many
men can withstand that temptation? What of the pain of taking the child and the
baby to Egypt in order to escape from Herod’s sword? He provided food for the
baby and the mother.
However,
when the baby was delivered, joy came. The baby’s fame, which also gave the
parents recognition in human history, cannot be compared to the pains they
bore. Whatever challenges you are passing through now will not prevent your joy
of Christmas. Whatever Nigerians are experiencing now will lead to the joy of
the future. Psalm 39: 5 says, ‘weeping may endure till night, but joy comes in
the morning.’
Joy will
come your way this Christmas by God’s Hand of miracle. Nigerians and Nigeria
will come out of the challenges to experience enduring joy and happiness in the
name of Jesus. The present challenges and pains Nigerians are experiencing will
later end in joy in Jesus’ name. Tough times never last but tough people do. God
is aware of our pains and is doing something about it. Joy shall come in the
morning for us in the name of Jesus.
Remember the
Lord who is the source of everything good in your life. Give him praise, give
him honour and use your resources as well to appreciate him.
Christmas is
a season of joy and happiness, when Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus
Christ, but things are pretty difficult people are experiencing lean times;
untold hardship in many countries including Nigeria. My prayers for all the
families including divine provision as He promises us in His Word (Philippians
4:19). Do not engage in any crime or criminality in order to celebrate the
Christmas. But instead, look up to God and you will not be disappointed.
I urge governments at all levels to look for ways of cushioning the effects of
the economic hardships in the land. I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a
Prosperous New Year.
Signed
The
President, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the Nigerian
Baptist Convention, His Eminence, Rev Dr Samson Olasupo Adeniyi Ayokunle.
24 December,
2019
