I absolutely love Christmas. It’s such a joyous time where everybody seems to be happy. The delicious cookies, the exchanging of gifts, the decorated trees–it all comes together to make what some call,
“the most wonderful time of the year.”
As we count down the days until the long awaited morning of December 25th, it’s a good time to reflect on the true meaning of this holiday.
Every year Christmas becomes more and more commercialized, tapping into that dreadful nature of ours called greed. We get so caught up in the business of the season that we forget why we even celebrate it. The movies and books constantly say it’s about love, kindness, joy, and giving. While those are all good things, they hold no light to the actual reason for Christmas.
The meaning of Christmas is evident in the name itself: Christmas.
Christmas is a time where we remember the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14, Luke 1:34-35, Matthew 1:23), the Creator of the universe was then laid in a manger.
I encourage you to read the nativity in Luke 1-2 and Matthew 1:18-2:12, because it’s such a beautiful reminder of how amazing our God is.
The King of Kings was laid in a feeding trough. The Prince of Peace was welcomed by lowly shepherds. The One who created the world, took His first breath in a stable, because there was no room for Him at the inn.
Just as He would later die a humble death, He came by a humble birth.
Christmas is a time that we can rejoice because we, as Christians, know the whole story. The story begins in a stable and leads to the cross, where Jesus would die for our sins. It didn’t end on that cross; Jesus did not stay dead. He rose again three days later and is now seated at the right hand of God the Father.
In this season, I pray you will not forget the true meaning of Christmas. I pray you will be like the shepherds, who, in their excitement, could not keep the news of Jesus’ coming quiet.
They rejoiced and told anyone who would listen (Luke 2:16-19).
While we reflect on Christ’s first coming, let it also spur us toward thinking of his second coming. And with that, we say:
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