Thank you for the opportunity to share this CHRISTmas message on this December 25th, 2025. I really want to continue where I left off at the Nassau County Correctional Center on Dec. 7th. I spoke to the inmates from Luke chapter 2 concerning Joseph and Mary answering King Ceasars call to go to Bethlehem—the place where our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, was born.
I wanted them to understand that Jesus Himself did not appear to have a great beginning. Bethlehem represented more than a geographical location; it represented a new birth of hope, joy, love, peace, and salvation. And I reminded them that even though they may be incarcerated on CHRISTmas Day, they can still experience a new beginning. A new birth a fresh start and that new beginning starts with accepting the Lord Jesus Christ.
I shared something I’ve heard all my life: people say, “Keep Christ in Christmas.” It’s an important phrase, but over the years many have said it without truly living it. So to keep myself mindful, I don’t just say Christmas — I emphasize CHRIST and say CHRISTmas. Keeping CHRIST in CHRISTmas keeps my focus on the One this day is really about.
One of the reasons we exchange gifts at CHRISTmas is because over 2,000 years ago, Jesus Christ was God’s gift to us. Humanity has followed that example by giving gifts to one another. But somewhere along the journey, we lost sight of the significance of that original gift — Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. We forgot why He left heaven and stepped into earth: to provide salvation for the lost — every kind of lost. Not just those behind bars, but every one of us who falls short of the glory of God.
It was intentional that when Joseph and Mary arrived in Bethlehem to be taxed under Caesar, there was no room in the inn/hotel. They ended up in a stable/barn where animals were kept, surrounded by the smell of waste and urination. Jesus began His earthly journey in conditions worse than most of us have ever experienced — incarcerated or not.
But even that had purpose. The Lamb of God was laid where lambs and other animals were kept. What looked like rejection was actually divine placement.
When the angels announced to the shepherds that Mary had given birth to the Savior, suddenly a multitude of the heavenly host appeared, praising God. Heaven celebrated His arrival and so today, let us not become so consumed with exchanging gifts that we forget to give praise for the greatest gift ever given—our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Jesus was wrapped in swaddling clothes — that’s just a respectful way of saying rags. Yet out of those humble beginnings, He rose to become the Light of the World, the Redeemer of mankind, and the greatest force of hope humanity has ever known.
So I declare to everyone reading this article:
Do not let your present circumstances, your past, or where you were born dictate your destiny. If Jesus could rise from a barn/stable to a throne—then there is nothing God cannot bring you out of.
If you hang in there, if you don’t give up, if you hold on to the hope of Christ, God is about to send you a heavenly gift — one that He Himself will unwrap just for you.
Blessed CHRISTmas. And may the gift of Jesus Christ birth a new beginning in your life today.
