“For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
Isaiah 9:6
This verse tends to surface a lot during this time of year. We send cards with these words written on it and even sing songs that proclaim these words and other Truths pointing to the birth of the Christ. We may even read the real story of Christmas to our families from Luke chapter 2, but do we really allow Christmas to be the spiritual holiday in our hearts that it is meant to be? Do we truly stand in awe of the coming of the Savior of the world? Or has it been retold in your homes so many times that it is lessened its power to that of your favorite childhood story instead of the beginning of THE story of redemption that it is?
Has the power that is in Christmas been reduced to a mere tradition… one that is amongst many other traditions to be hastily checked off a list? Or is the power of Christmas (that is Christ) the focus and center of our season to the very core of our beings?
Unfortunately, if we are not careful, many of us (myself included) can get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the season. Our focus lies in the details that surround Christmas rather than Christ himself. Pointing to Christ becomes nothing more than a formality. Something we do after baking cookies and before wrapping presents.
Now, I am not trying to bring guilt to any reader for having Christmas traditions. Christmas traditions are wonderful and I encourage families to have them because it is during these moments where lifelong memories are made.
But in the midst of the traditions and warm, fuzzy things that surround Christmas, how can we truly make Christ the center?
I have good news! There is a way to make Christ the center of Christmas!
The best way to make Christ the center of the Christmas season in our hearts, families, and homes is by making Him the center of our lives all year round.
Ask yourself and be honest: “Is Christ the center of my life all year round?”
If you are unsure or are struggling to make Christ the center of your life, I encourage you to look into scripture to remind yourself why He came in the first place.
John 3:16 tells us that God sent His son Jesus into the world because we are sinners in need of a Savior (my paraphrase). Without the redemptive work of Jesus, we can not approach God’s Holy throne. We can not have eternal life. God is perfect and Holy. We are sinful (all of us… see Romans 3:23). God is to sin, as light is to pure darkness. The two can not co-exist. If a room is dark and a candle is lit, then it is no longer pure darkness.
So what does that mean for us? Without someone to save us, we can not be in the presence of our Holy God. Period. Sin creates a debt in our life that requires sacrifice to pay for it. There is no sacrifice great enough that we can offer on our own to pay our sin debt.
If the story ended here, we would have no hope.
Good News: There is HOPE!
But there is Good News that will bring great JOY to all people! We do have hope. We hope that exists because of the first Christmas day.
John 3:16 also reminds us that God loves us so much. He did not want us to be separated from Him because of our sin. So he made a way. He sent his one and only Son and anyone who believes that Jesus is the Son of God will get to live eternally with God the father.
Jesus came to live on this earth being fully God and fully human so that he would be tempted as we are and beset by weakness. But by living a perfect life without sin, though he was tempted as we are, he became the perfect sacrifice. The sacrifice needed to pay our sin debt, not His as he had no sin.
This is the hope & JOY and what we need to remind ourselves and our families during the Christmas season and all year. Christ was born to bring us to God. It’s because of His life and sacrifice that we have the opportunity for eternal life.
In a world that ever so vehemently distracts us from the true meaning of Christmas, we must be diligent in making it the center during this season and always.
As I write this I am in my home. The entire back wall of my house is covered with large windows and the sun is beaming in. It is warm & lovely, but when this happens my “seemingly clean home” suddenly shows every dust particle and fingerprint. Though it’s frustrating and makes me want to grab a broom and duster instead of finishing this blog post, I can’t help but think that God is using that as an illustration for me to share with you.
You see if you read John 3:19-21, it says that Jesus is God’s light that came into the world, exposing the evil in people’s lives. Jesus is like the sun shining through my windows and the dust is like the evil that people try to hide. When we live for Christ he exposes our sin, not to condemn us or judge us but rather to show us our need for Him to “clean up” our life so that He can save us from our sin that will otherwise lead us to eternal death.
So often we try to hide our evil deeds or are afraid to come to Christ for fear that our baggage will be exposed. The truth is it will now or it will later.
2 Corinthians 5:10 tells us this: “For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.”
So come to Him now, repent, turn from your sin, let Jesus begin his redemptive work in your life and be encouraged by Psalm 103:12-13: “He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him.”
One final thought, Jesus can only save the person who acknowledges their sin, confesses it and turns from it toward Christ. He can not save someone who does not want to be saved, who does not believe that they need a Savior or who thinks they can come to God the Father in any other way. There is only one way and that is through Jesus Christ. Our Savior, born on Christmas Day!
May the PEACE & JOY that Christmas truly brings be rooted in your heart this season and always!
Merry Christmas to you and yours!
“I am the Way and the Truth and the Life, no one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6
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