Every year I hear comments by Christians and those who do not profess Christ, about their traditions and the one phrase that catches my ear is “It’s not Christmas without….,” or “That’s what makes it Christmas.” Every year there seems to be a new “thing” on the rise to celebrate at Christmas time. This year I heard parents explaining how guilty they felt about not moving a toy elf from place to place in their house to surprise their kids, or how sad they were their children didn’t believe a big fat man in a red suit brought them presents. I understand that we all have traditions that we love, those things that give us warm fuzzy feelings from the past. There is nothing wrong with having special memories and traditions to remind us of the good things in life we have enjoyed. However, we need to be careful to analyze our feelings and thoughts about Christmas. How would you feel if all your traditions of Christmas were taken away from you? Would you be moody during Christmas if all you had to celebrate at Christmas was Christ?
Before the birth of Christ, there was no Christmas. Why? Because the word itself is about Him. The Israelites had hoped each year that the Messiah would be born. Their long-awaited king came, but because of their idea of what this Messiah would be like, they missed the Son of God coming to redeem them. Isaiah told them in Isaiah 7:14, that Jesus would be born of a virgin. He would be Immanuel, meaning God with us. From that prophecy until the birth 800 years would pass. Generation after generation would pass this knowledge down, and each generation would pray that it would happen in their time.
Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”
In Matthew 1:23, the prophecy would come to pass. Yet, because they had turned the Messiah into what they wanted Him to be, most Jewish people missed Him. Their idea about the Messiah was to have someone who would free them from their bondage to other earthly powers. They were proud and wanted to be an exalted people above others. Jesus came to free them, not from governments or kings, but from their bondage of sin.
Matthew 1:22-23 “Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”
Will you miss the Christ of Christmas because your idea of Christmas is family, parties, gifts, programs, food, or some tradition? Do you know how to celebrate Christmas without all the frivolities? I wonder how many people who claim the name of “Christian” would have great joy on Christmas day if everything was taken away except their relationship with Jesus. Don’t get me wrong, I am a lover of most Christmas traditions. I have many that are very precious to me, and I intend to keep them, but not at the expense of putting them above celebrating Jesus. I believe in America we have turned Christmas into a day about us instead of a day about our Savior coming to earth to redeem us from our sins. I challenge you to take time this Christmas to meditate on the true meaning of Christmas. To embrace all that Christ is to you, and examine yourself. If Christ is all you have, is He enough for you to be filled with joy and celebration at Christmas? Will your praise exceed all of your other emotions during this season?
