Christmas is about more than traditions. Christmas is about Jesus coming down to earth, chasing after us, and providing us with exactly what we needed. Christmas is about more than just a baby - Christmas is about sacrifice, love, and joy. Though we do celebrate the birth of Christ at Christmas, we are also celebrating the sacrifice Jesus made to save us from our sins. Christmas is about all that Jesus has done, not just His birth.
I've been having so much fun lately with the Christmas lights, the happy overload of both Christmas cookies and Christmas music, and the wonderfully bad, low-budget Christmas movies. I am officially in Kristin-Christmas-Tradition-Heaven.
It's such a great feeling to truly enjoy all of the holiday scents, tastes, noises, and sights. I get warm-fuzzies every time I think about it. And even though I'm thankful for those things, at some point, the warm-fuzzies have to take a backseat, because at the core what we really need is a deep reflection on the true meaning of Christmas.
It is entirely possible to embrace tradition and reflect on the deeper things of life at the same time. In my pondering and celebrating the real meaning of Christmas, I will still be eating just as many cookies, singing just as many songs, and watching just as many Christmas movies. But while doing this, I will make sure that the more important things in life come first and are not replaced by the things that matter much less.
Jesus Is the Reason for the Season | What Does That Really Mean?
It's true that Jesus is the reason for the season. But I'm sure you've heard that phrase a million times and you may be thinking, "Yeah, but what does that really mean?"The story of Jesus' birth is found in Luke 2 in the Bible. If you've never read it, or you need a refresher, you can read it here.
A lot of people "know" that Christmas is about Jesus - a little baby who was called the son of God, and born in a stable. Great. But many people don't go past that.
The thing is though, it's when you go past the basics that you truly begin to understand the meaning of Christmas. Go past the fact that Jesus was born to a young girl who had never had sex. Go past what you know about wise men, bright stars, and a feeding trough for a bed. Then you will start to see the point of this beautiful holiday season!
Guilt and Love | Why Jesus Came
From the very beginning of our lives, we are sinful people. We aren't innocent. We aren't good enough. We make mistakes every day that pull us further and further away from God.But since God loves us, He wanted to bring us back to Him. However, He is a holy God and He couldn't just act like our sin was acceptable - because it's not. He needed a perfect person to take the punishment we deserved: death and eternal separation from God.
God knew that if He didn't step in, our sin would keep us from Him, from His love, and from experiencing his goodness and glory for all of eternity. But thankfully, our God isn't helpless. Our God wasn't scrambling around trying to figure out what to do. He already had a plan. He already had the perfect solution to our soul-devouring sin. He had His Son.
Complete Perfection | Jesus Is the Perfect Response to Sin
As baby Jesus grew up, He never sinned. He was human, and yet He was God at the very same time. He stood firm against the sins that we give into. He was the only perfect person.So when the Jews decided to kill Jesus, they were killing a perfect, spotless man.
God planned the death of Jesus as a sacrifice for all sin. Jesus took our death sentence and He served it Himself. Since Jesus is God in the flesh, He was actually able to defeat the death sentence He was serving for us.
Death, which was meant to be an irreversible and final event, was defeated and conquered. It was for us. It was for me. And it was for you.
We no longer have to pay the penalty of sin - Jesus already did.
God did all of the work. The only thing He requires of us is that we believe and trust in Jesus as the savior - that His death paid the full penalty of our sins just like God said it did. All we have to do is trust in Jesus and His blood as the saving grace we desperately need.
That is the gospel in a nutshell, and the gospel is what Christmas is all about.
It's not about how many wise men went to see Jesus when He was born. It's not even about the fact that Jesus' mom was a virgin (though that is important). Christmas is about a Savior - the only Savior - who came to live, die, and defeat death for us. Christmas is about God's goodness, despite our utter and constant failure. Christmas is about the cross.
Check Your Response | Is Your Heart Focused on Christ?
Christmas is a humbling experience. I don't like being told that I am a sinner, but I know it's true.I look out for myself instead of others. I care far too much about my weight, my curves, my personality, and other people's opinions. I try to appear better than I actually am. I complain about nearly everything that doesn't go my way.
And chances are, you do the same things, because you are a sinner too. You and I are imperfect people, in need of a Savior.
So check your response. Don't be mad that God confronts you and your sin. Instead, be thankful that you don't have to serve your death sentence. Accept Jesus as the Savior He is. Spend Christmas with new-found joy that you don't have to be handcuffed to your sin anymore.
Christmas is about praising God because He gave us what we needed. God is love. That is what Christmas is really about!
What Is Christmas Really About?
- Christmas is about sin
- Christmas is about death
- Christmas is about redemption and salvation
- Christmas is about God's love for us
- Christmas is about God's glory
- Christmas is about the sacrifice Jesus made for us
- Christmas is about God
