Do you or your family have any favorite holiday traditions? Maybe you get to open one present on Christmas Eve, go to a Christmas church service, or decorate Christmas cookies. Ever since I can remember, my family has stuck with one tradition: reading the Christmas story on the night of Christmas Eve. The four of us sit together in front of the fire, reading the greatest story ever to exist, & then pray together as a family. All of these traditions are great, but do they relate to the entire point of Christmas, which is the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ?
The world we live in today is a world of fear, persecution, war, & terrorism. It’s a world where people are only concerned about themselves or the material things they have. It’s a world where Christmas becomes an annual holiday that is centered on giving & receiving presents. A time that you get a break from school or work. A time to bum around the house, drink hot chocolate, & go play in the snow.
It’s so common now to dismiss the truth of Christmas, or at least bury it under the bustle of Christmas shopping, present time, & good food. The real meaning of Christmas is not the presents under the Christmas tree, the lights shining in your windows, the Christmas cards you get in the mail, the turkey dinners with your family & friends, the snow falling outside, the stockings hanging in your living room, or the shouts of “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Holidays” from the people you pass at the mall. With every passing year, we’ve made this holiday about us, when in reality it’s all about Him. As Christians, I feel that we, too, fall into the pattern of “holiday spirit” because of all the joys of Christmas, all while diminishing the importance of why we celebrate Christmas in the first place.
What about the people who can’t afford to buy their children presents? Or the people whose loved ones are out fighting for our country’s freedom? Or the families who wish they could have a turkey dinner for once? While the majority of us are enjoying the season of great joy, some face a time of sorrow. But, this time of year can bring you renewed strength & healing.
Christmas is the time of celebrating the birth of our Lord Jesus. God sent His one & only Son into the world so that those who receive Him will have their sins forgiven, be called His children, & have everlasting life with Him in Heaven. This birth brought the greatest joy to our lost world. The shepherds in the fields, the wise men from afar, & the Heavenly host of angels all shared in the excitement of knowing about the birth of a Savior who is Christ the Lord.
For those who might not know the Christmas story very well, or might not have access to a Bible, or just want to re-read the greatest story of all time, here is the passage from Luke 2:4-19:
“So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house & line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him & was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, & she gave birth to her firstborn, a Son. She wrapped Him in cloths & placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. & there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, & the glory of the Lord shone around them, & they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths & lying in a manger.’ Suddenly a great company of the Heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God & saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, & on earth peace to those on whom His favor rests.’ When the angels had left them & gone into Heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let’s go to Bethlehem & see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.’ So they hurried off & found Mary & Joseph, & the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen Him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, & all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things & pondered them in her heart.”
I had the amazing opportunity to go to Israel. While I was there, I visited Bethlehem & got to see the Shepherd’s Field & the cave where baby Jesus was born. The Shepherd’s Field is believed to be the place where the angels spoke to the shepherds about Jesus’s birth. It is pictured as the “featured image” in this post. In the cave, I saw the spot where it is believed Jesus was born. It is marked with a 14-point star, representing the 14 generations from Abraham to King David. I also saw the spot in the cave where it is believed Mary & Joseph put the manger.
WOW! God sent His Son into a cruel world so that one day He would grow up & bring salvation to every single one of us! This story is full of truth, love, & hope. Without Jesus, all of us would die in our sins. Jesus was born on earth to pay the price for all our wrong actions. God promised to forgive us of our sins, no matter what the sin is. All you have to do is turn to Jesus in faith. Confess your sins & you will be washed as white as snow. Our sins were nailed to a cross, dead, & buried.
So, you can truly be happy this Christmas. No matter what is going on, remember that you are His child. Be filled with His joy & peace this Christmas season. Remember that Jesus really is the ONLY reason for the season. Rejoice in Him & have a very “Merry Christmas!”
Loyally,
Lindsey
loyallylindsey.wordpress.com 