Christmas As the Story of Salvation vs What the World Portrays
Are you bursting with excitement with anticipation of the arrival of the special day – December 25th? If so, why the excitement? Could it be the thought of bright lights, beautifully decorated trees, family gatherings and, oh yes, the expected gifts? While all of these can be nice, could there be any more profound reason to be excited?
We have witnessed the busyness of people during this season. Stores are selling tremendous amounts of merchandise; people are buying gifts (with cash or credit cards), season music is ringing in the atmosphere, great family meals are being planned, etc. All of those activities take place in preparation of “Celebrating Christmas”.
In all of the above activities, I sometimes wonder where the Lord, our savior, fits? Do we see this as merely a season of festivities or do we really understand the importance of the birth of our Saviour, Jesus Christ? Sometimes I wonder if Jesus looks upon all of the gala and hoopla and wonder, “Where is my place in all of this?”.
Often times, we may tend to put Santa Claus and his elves in the space in which Jesus and his angels belong. We value the gifts over the gifter – Jesus. The Bible does not give us an exact time or month in which Jesus was born, but we know that he was born of Virgin Mary, to die on the cross and resurrect to take away the sins of the world. John 3:16 and Romans 5:8 expressively tells us this.
Jesus represents a spirit of love. John 15:12, 17 tells us that Jesus commands that we also have love for one another. I feel that should be applied each and every day. Let’s squash the attitude of for Christmas, I give you something, you give me something. If you desire to give, especially on that day, let it be from the heart, expecting nothing in return from the receiver.
Personally, I find it more meaningful to share love on any day of the year rather than to buy the store out for Christmas. The Bible says in Romans 14:5-6 whether we esteem one day above another or not, we should do it as unto God. Therefore, if you should choose to esteem December 25th as a day to especially express your love to one another, remember to do it in celebration of who Jesus is to you and not as a commercially celebrated day.
So, if it is your desire to observe December 25th as a special day, please do not leave Jesus, our king, out — breaking his heart after all of the suffering he endured for us. How about presenting a real gift to him – accepting him into our hearts and leaning on him to guide us through life.
So, in conclusion, yes, there is a more profound reason to get excited. Instead of looking forward to what we will receive for Christmas, let us accept the most important gift of all time – Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour! Make him smile and you’ll be blessed!
