"When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, 'Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.' And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger" (Luke 2:15-16).

One searches the Scriptures in vain to find Jesus or His apostles teaching Christians to have a religious festival called "Christmas." What we truly need every day of the year is a trip to Bethlehem - and also to Calvary. You see, everyone rejoices over the birth of a child. But, far fewer put their faith in the death of a Savior. The manger is non-threatening as it announces the birth of "a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." But, the cross challenges us to see the pain and agony our sins caused the Savior. At the birth of Jesus "a body was prepared" for him that would become an offering for the sins of the world (Heb. 10:5-10). Yes, let us go to Bethlehem and rejoice in what happened that day. But, we need not go there through a religious holiday ordained by the authority of men. Let us also go to Golgotha, the Place of a Skull, in order to be saved from our sins. Faith leads us to both the manger and the cross.