Baking. Cleaning. Primping. Cooking. Fussing.
Attending. Wining. Dining. Wrapping. Shopping.
The meaning of the Christmas season can very easily get lost amidst the hustle and bustle of productivity, striving, and planning. Family complicates things. Expectations complicate things. Ultimately, WE complicate things.
We are imperfect. We are full of flaws.
Actually, we are brimming with flaws. That’s where the gift of Jesus comes and changes everything. Our God and creator sent Jesus Christ, his one and only son, to live a lowly life as a human, to be tempted and tried by the whiles of this world, and to sacrifice himself for the sins of all of humanity. You and I were bought for a price. Our selfishness, our waywardness, our strivings, and our incompleteness are all made new and whole through the love of Christ Jesus. We are no longer slaves to our shortcomings and failures thanks to the body and blood of Christ. Praise God for that!
Today is about more than matching PJ’s, gift giving, and traditions.
Today is about more than big family feasts and time away from the office.
Today we remember and celebrate the humanity of the one who bought us our salvation and offers us eternity, we need only follow Him.
One of my favorite Christmas movies growing up was A Charlie Brown Christmas. The jazzy music, the sassy characters, and of course Linus’ speech make it a true Christmas classic. Taken from the passage in Luke 2:9-14, one of the character’s, Linus, takes the stage during the Christmas pageant practice and explains the true meaning of Christmas.
“And there were in the same country shepherds, abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them! And they were so afraid. And the angel said unto them, “Fear not! For, behold, I bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all my people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ, the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you: Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” And suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude of the Heavenly Host praising God, and saying, “Glory to God in the Highest, and on Earth peace, and good will toward men.”
As Christians, we are called to shepherd this good news of salvation and forgiveness. We have been entrusted to take the gospel of Christ and share it with others to advance hope in an often hopeless world. God chose us, the meek and lowly, to help spread the most important message in the history of forever. We have been given a great gift in Jesus Christ. Every day is an opportunity for us to extend that olive branch of peace and mercy that we have been graciously given to the people of this world.
So don’t lose sight of the majesty and mystery of Jesus Christ. Hold tight to the gift of God’s son. Draw near to the throne of Christ for He alone deserves all the pomp and circumstance. That little baby boy born in a dirty stable in Bethlehem would go on to save us all from sin, sorrow, and selfishness forever. Praise God for loving us so much so that He sacrificed himself to bring his fallen children back into his fold. Prepare Him room in your hearts today and make way for the King of glory to shine truth into the depths of your broken soul.
We all need something this Christmas.
Not gadgets, not clothes, not books, not toys.
We all need the transformative power of Jesus to rule our hearts and minds. AMEN.
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