I have really been working on the true meaning of Christmas this year. For me, it’s something I have to do annually, especially since I love Christmas and always have. I love the trees, lights, presents, music, goodies … all of it! But as I mentioned in my weekly message yesterday, I am someone who is guilty of feeling a little blue after the Christmas celebration is complete. It’s as though once the party is over, Christmas is, too. If I’m going to experience true Christmas joy, then I need to embrace the true meaning of Christmas and how it’s there for me every day of my life. I’m going to take a stab here in the dark, but my guess is I’m not alone in this. We all need to get past the potential trappings of the season to find the real joy God has in store for us.
Christmas is all about Jesus as we celebrate His birth. Remember the saying, “Jesus Is the Reason for the Season”? The Scripture says in Matthew 1.21 that God sent us Jesus (Immanuel, or God with us) to save us from our sins. Sin carries the penalty of separation from God. At Christmas we remember how God sent His love to us in the form of Jesus, showing us that no matter how much distance we’ve put between God and us, we’re never too separated to be saved.
There is nothing wrong with the way we celebrate Christmas -- it truly is what makes the season bright -- but we must remember that as beautiful and fun as our Christmas celebrations are, they are not in and of themselves Christmas. I am coming to learn that the more we celebrate a Jesus-centered Christmas, then ironically, the fun parts of our Christmas celebration garners even more meaning! The trees are evergreen, symbolizing the eternal life we receive from God. The lights symbolize how Jesus came to be the light of the world. The presents we give and receive symbolize God's nature of giving. The music helps us keep the message alive while we’re driving, working, and going about our days. The goodies help us remember to taste and see just how sweet Jesus really is. See, it all has meaning! Focusing on Jesus needn’t negate the fun aspects of our celebrations, but give them even MORE meaning!
So as we embrace the fun of Christmas this year, I want us to use them to help redirect the focus on the true meaning of Christmas … Jesus! As a little way to help remind us about this, I want to invite you to join me in modifying the way we write the word, putting and keeping the emphasis where it belongs: CHRISTmas!
Merry CHRISTmas, my friends!
Christmas is all about Jesus as we celebrate His birth. Remember the saying, “Jesus Is the Reason for the Season”? The Scripture says in Matthew 1.21 that God sent us Jesus (Immanuel, or God with us) to save us from our sins. Sin carries the penalty of separation from God. At Christmas we remember how God sent His love to us in the form of Jesus, showing us that no matter how much distance we’ve put between God and us, we’re never too separated to be saved.
There is nothing wrong with the way we celebrate Christmas -- it truly is what makes the season bright -- but we must remember that as beautiful and fun as our Christmas celebrations are, they are not in and of themselves Christmas. I am coming to learn that the more we celebrate a Jesus-centered Christmas, then ironically, the fun parts of our Christmas celebration garners even more meaning! The trees are evergreen, symbolizing the eternal life we receive from God. The lights symbolize how Jesus came to be the light of the world. The presents we give and receive symbolize God's nature of giving. The music helps us keep the message alive while we’re driving, working, and going about our days. The goodies help us remember to taste and see just how sweet Jesus really is. See, it all has meaning! Focusing on Jesus needn’t negate the fun aspects of our celebrations, but give them even MORE meaning!
So as we embrace the fun of Christmas this year, I want us to use them to help redirect the focus on the true meaning of Christmas … Jesus! As a little way to help remind us about this, I want to invite you to join me in modifying the way we write the word, putting and keeping the emphasis where it belongs: CHRISTmas!
Merry CHRISTmas, my friends!
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