Written by Michael Newsome
The air is crisp, the temperatures have dropped, the lights are hung and carols are being sung. Each December marks the time of America’s favorite holiday. For years, the season has made me think of a few things – toys, Santa Claus and insanely overstuffed shopping carts. I also think of corny catch phrases from people trying to remind us of the real reason for the season, but those with open eyes have recognized the commercialization of the holiday.
I have now written four sentences, and have you even realized that I have failed to mention the word “Christmas?” Is Jesus “the reason for the season?” Isn’t Christmas just like Easter, Labor Day, or Valentine’s Day? I would venture to say, “Yes.”
Christmas is just like Easter, Labor Day and Valentine’s Day for this reason: mortal man has established and set aside a day that is essentially like every other day of the year, except he named it “Christmas” – a name which is meant to point us to and remind us of the necessity of true devotion, worship and hunger for an almighty God.
Every day should be set apart for Christ, every day should be set apart for giving and every day should be set apart for loving. Our lives should be centered on Jesus Christ, and all we do should represent him and what he has done for us.
The holidays that man has established are for a purpose. Purposefully showing that peace reigns; purposefully showing that we have a king; purposefully showing that love is his command – and we should reflect on this every day of our lives, not just one day of the year.
This day of Christmas, set aside for celebration, should be precious to us all. Just as birthdays are remembrance celebrations of special days and anniversaries are celebrated remembrances of marriages, likewise, Christmas should even more be celebrated because we have the privilege of celebrating the birth of the King of Glory – the most peaceful King in the history of the world, who loved its inhabitants so much that he died for them, to save them from their sin.
Gift giving — God exampled it in the gift of his son. We give Christmas gifts as an expression of love, but we could give gifts all of our lives to those that we love and foolishly neglect to give them the most precious gift of all — the good news that there is a savior Jesus Christ, whose birth we celebrate at Christmas.
This is what we are called to do this Christmas season: to delight in God’s gracious gift to us, and because of this gift, hold out the ultimate gift to our loved ones — Jesus Christ himself.
