A Personal Reflection on the Christmas Series
Oluwatobi Michael
December 23, 2025
Reading through the 2025 Christmas series at GIVA Ministry was very enlightening and caused a spiritual reorientation for me. Christmas had largely occupied a familiar space in my faith, rich in surface level symbolism, warmth, and celebration, but detached from deep theological reflection. Being aware of the debates surrounding the Christmas date and pagan parallels, I held them loosely because I believed that Christmas as a day marking the birth of our Lord Jesus holds more significance than being historically correct. Reading through the Christmas series has grounded me more in the symbolism of Christmas and the sovereignty, eternality, and redemption plan of God for humanity.
Christmas shouldn’t primarily be about remembering that Christ is born, but also about reckoning with the reality that Christ now dwells within His people who are born again in Him. The shift from commemoration has fundamentally changed how I understand Christmas and also impacted living life as a Christian.
Christ is at the Center of Everything
Jesus Christ is not a supporting character in God’s plan, He is the plan. Whether explored through the lens of cosmology, governance, sovereignty, eternity, or salvation, Christ stands as the integrating center of all reality. His birth is presented not as a sentimental entry point into the Christian story, but as the visible unveiling of an eternal redemptive architecture already established before the foundation of the world.
This framing deeply resonated with me because I’ve always taken Christmas as a yearly celebration rather. Seeing Christ described as the Cosmic Christ and the embodiment of God’s sovereignty places His at the center of God’s redemption plan.
If Christ is at the center of God’s plan for humans, then Christ must also be at the center of my life, daily decisions, affections, and obediences.
Sovereignty That Invites Surrender is another interesting message of the series and how it presents God’s sovereignty as a living reality that invites surrender and trust. The discussions on predestination, permissive will, justification, sanctification revealed a God who is meticulously involved, patiently purposeful, and unwaveringly loving.
This helped me see my own life differently. My struggles cannot affect God’s plan instead they are locations where His sovereign grace is at work. My obedience is not an attempt to earn favor rather is participation in a redemption already secured. This understanding calls me away from anxiety-driven faith and into restful obedience, rooted in confidence that God truly governs both eternity and my present circumstances.
Boundaries as Freedom and Governance as Lordship
The reflection on freedom within divine boundaries reframed freedom as alignment with divine design not an absence of boundaries. Just as Christ embodies God’s governance over creation, He also governs the believer’s life not to diminish it, but to give it structure, meaning, and fruitfulness.
This gives more meaning to how I see obedience. God’s commands are not seasonal disciplines, they are the architecture of abundant life. If Christ is Lord, then every area of life, private and public, spiritual and practical, must come under His governance. Christmas, therefore, becomes a reminder not merely to celebrate Christ’s birth, but to submit afresh to His Lordship.
From Ritual to Righteousness
The most sobering fact I realized running through the series is the warning against celebrations disconnected from righteousness. The words of Isaiah:
“This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.” (Isaiah 29:13)
This verse reframed my reflection entirely. The issue is not celebration itself, but celebration without transformation. God is not impressed by festive enthusiasm that does not flow from surrendered hearts. Christmas that does not lead to holiness and obedience to God is spiritually hollow. This realization calls me to a more honest faith. I am learning to ask not merely how I celebrate Christ, but how I live because Christ lives in me. The Gospel’s power is not in nostalgia but in new creation reality.
These insights are shaping my walk with God in concrete ways as I want my daily life to reflect the reality of Christ’s indwelling presence, not just seasonal remembrance. Obedience as worship not as duty, but as the truest expression of love and freedom. Eternal perspective in daily decisions and understanding redemption as eternal reframes how I view time, ambition, suffering, and success. Holiness not performance because righteous living flows from grace received, not effort expended. And Celebration rooted in transformation as an extension of a surrendered life, not a substitute for it.
This Christmas series did more than clarify theological concepts, It reminded me that the gospel is not ultimately about dates or traditions, but about God entering humanity so that humanity might be restored to God. Christ did not merely come to be remembered, He came to reign, to dwell in us, and to transform us into His image.
Christmas is not complete when the season ends, It is complete when Christ is formed in us And that is a celebration that must continue every day.
Thank you for this Christmas series, May God continue to strengthen and renew your mind.
Oluwatobi Michael is a seasoned marketing executive who serves as the Social Media & Content Manager for GIVA Ministries International. A proud alumnus of the University of Ilorin with a degree in Physics, Oluwatobi currently resides in Lagos, where he leverages his expertise to drive impactful content and social media strategies for the ministry.
