It's one of the growing controversial subjects in religious circles over the years.

Each year, the controversy about the subject is rekindled and taken to a new height; perhaps since ‘knowledge’ is constantly being discovered.

Christmas is such subject!

The height of all this controversy is largely centered on the veracity of the day of celebration (the date).

While the date may change depending upon which point of view one is coming from, the significance and the meaning of Christmas should never be forgotten.

The essence of the festive season of Christmas is the meaning it portrays and represent.

The meaning Christmas portrays is the birth of a promised Messiah.

The Christmas season is imperative in the following number of ways;

•A fulfillment of Biblical Prophecy;

Five hundred years before the birth of Jesus Christ, the prophet Micah had said,

"But you Bethlehem, though you are small, out of you will come for me, one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times."

The prophet Isaiah had written,

"A child is born to us! A son is given to us! And he will be our ruler.

He will be called, "Wonderful Counsellor,""Mighty God,""Eternal Father,""Prince of Peace." His royal power will continue to grow; his kingdom will always be at peace....

He will rule as King David's successor, basing his power on right and justice, from now until the end of time."

The birth of Jesus as we celebrate Christmas is a reminder of this truth. And also resonate the fact that, each individual who accept Christ will live to fulfill his purpose in line with God's agenda for him.

The celebration of Christmas  as a feast; ‘Dies Natalis Solis Invicti’ means "the birthday of the unconquered sun" also relate with what is captured in Malachi 4:2;

"But the Sun of Righteousness will arise with healing in its light for those who fear my name".

•The gift of the wise men;

After Jesus was born, wise men came to look for Him. Although they are often called the "Three Kings", the Bible does not say how many they were, or that they were kings. Three is only a guess because they brought with them three gifts - Gold, frankincense and myrrh.

They were certainly men of learning .They had seen an unusual new star in the sky, and knew that it told of the birth of a special king. They followed the direction of the star and eventually found the place where Mary, Joseph and Jesus were staying.

To bring honour to the child, they brought rich gifts: gold, frankincense (a resin which burns with a beautiful smell), and myrrh (plant oil with a very strong sweet smell). These gifts tell us in pictures three key things about Jesus:

Gold : a gift fit for a King

Frankincense : An act of worship to  God

Myrrh : a sign of mortal humanity - it was used to bury the dead. Through his death the entirety of human race shall be saved.

The best gift for this Christmas is to be offered Jesus Christ. He's such a perfect gift.

•The birth of Jesus Christ; The foundation of our belief in an eternal God stands on this. To be tempted, to say I believe in Jesus Christ, but not in his birth clearly undermines the potency of your belief. And focusing, on the date other than the meaning of what Christmas represent has the tendency of robbing us of this spiritual insight.

No other person has had such an effect on human lives as Jesus. He came back to life again, and millions say they know Him today as a friend and helper in their lives.

You owe it to yourself to find out more about Him. Is He who He claimed to be? Can He help us in our lives today? You have nothing to lose! Christmas is the time to stop and think about these important questions.

In no time Christmas is here with us again. It's time for sober reflections in the mist of the merry making and all the fun that's in the holiday.

Richard Nkansah is a Christian Apologist.