When I was a child, Christmas meant a time of family togetherness. We’d attend church early in the evening and then enjoy family supper afterward. We had delicacies such as Portuguese nuts and chestnuts that, in Brazil, we eat only on special occasions.
But when I was ten years old, I had a big disappointment on Christmas Eve. My father, my brothers and I waited until late for my mother’s arrival. Due to a miscommunication (this was before cell phones), she decided to enjoy Christmas Eve at another house.
There will be times when others will disappoint us. But, praise God, the whole story changed when I experienced another Christmas night. When I was thirteen, Jesus became the true meaning of Christmas for me. I understood who that Child in the manger is. He’s the One who has the power to save us. The writer to the Hebrews pointed out that the priesthood established in Moses’ day had changed with Christ (Hebrews 7:11). He said, “Jesus became a priest . . . by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed” (v. 16).
Jesus saved me, healed me, and transformed me. He’s here today, on this significant date, to remind us of the gift of God’s great love. The writer concludes, “Because Jesus lives forever, his priesthood lasts forever” (v. 24).
—Adolfo Antonio Hickmann
