My Reasons for the Season

I love Christmas time! There is no doubt in my mind that it is my favorite holiday season. I love everything that takes place during this time of year. The Christmas story (Luke 2 is my personal favorite), cooler weather, the lights, the time off school/work, Christmas music, Christmas movies, seeing family, putting up the Christmas tree, Christmas parties, Christmas concerts, Christmas carols, the Star of Bethlehem, the Wise Men, the announcing angels, Mary, Joseph, giving and receiving gifts, Christmas stockings, Nativity scenes, and even modern Christmas legends (Ebenezer Scrooge, the Grinch, Santa Claus, Charlie Brown, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, etc.). There isn’t a part of Christmas that I don’t love…I. Love. Christmas! (I feel like the little girl on Despicable Me who gets the stuffed unicorn and, while vigorously shaking it, announces, “IT’S SO FLUFFY!”)

Unfortunately, it’s usually this time of year that those who would like to remove Christ from Christmas come out in force. Magnified more by recent events, there are those who hate any part of Christmas that has to do with Christ, the babe in the manger, Mary, Joseph, angels, manger scenes, the Star of Bethlehem, and God, period. They verbalize their hatred by saying that it isn’t politically correct to say “Merry Christmas”. Ironically, they choose instead to say “Happy Holidays”. The etymology of the word “holiday” bears roots which tie it back to a day that was set apart as a “holy day” by the church. This is where we get our modern rendition and spelling, “holi-day.” In an attempt to combat the liberal bend towards kicking Christ out of Christmas, many well intending people fight back, and understandably so. When war is waged (and war has been waged on Christmas), the most natural response is to fight back. But that’s just it…this is our natural response…the response of our flesh.

Before this gets out of control, let me make a disclaimer: I am not trying to contradict what you believe the Word of God teaches to be true. My purpose is simply to challenge you to make sure that what you believe is based on and validated by the Word of God. I want to challenge you to be sure that the focus of your Christmas is Biblically based, as everything in the believer’s life should be. A great book published by the Answers in Genesis group recently challenged me. The title of the book is “The War on Christmas”, and I would encourage you to read it if you would like to study this subject further.

This is article is not about which Christmas traditions you choose to celebrate or not to celebrate. Rather, it is to challenge each of us to be sure that God gets the best part of us in every area, especially at Christmas. After all, He gave us the greatest gift that has ever been given, His Son, for our salvation. I want to be sure that I don’t crowd Christ out of my Christmas, with good intentions of simply enjoying the wonderful events that go along with Christmas. As I was musing over these thoughts, I remembered a quote from C.S. Lewis. Lewis said in his “Letters to Malcom: Chiefly on Prayer” as follows:

“It is well to have specifically holy places, and things, and days, for, without these focal points or reminders, the belief that all is holy and "big with God" will soon dwindle into a mere sentiment. But if these holy places, things, and days cease to remind us, if they obliterate our awareness that all ground is holy and every bush (could we but perceive it) a Burning Bush, then the hallows begin to do harm.”

Yes! That’s it! I want to be sure that what I have established as a joyous occasion and great traditions during the Christmas season don’t take up so much of my time that the ground is no longer holy ground. My prayer is that I will glorify Jesus Christ more this Christmas than I ever have before. This Christmas I want to make sure that everything I do has spiritual significance to me…I want every part of Christmas to be a Burning Bush, as Lewis so eloquently puts it. I have chosen three areas of Christmas that I truly enjoy each year, but that I want to make I sure I purposely use to remind myself of the true reason for the season.

1. The Christmas Tree

• It reminds me of our Creator – Psalm 24:1: “The earth is the Lord, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.”
• It reminds me that salvation was promised to spring up from the root of Jesse – Isaiah 11:10: "And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious."
• The tree (often an evergreen tree), symbolizes life in the middle of winter (death), which Christ brought to a world that was dead in sin – Ephesians 2:1: "And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins"
• The ornaments, garland, and lights on the tree remind me of how the church should cling to Christ. Alone we are not much, but with Christ we make something beautiful – Ephesians 5:23: "Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body."
• The star on top of the tree points me to the Star of Bethlehem that guided the wise men to the King of Kings – Matthew 2:2: "Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him."
• If it’s an angel, I want to remember how the host of angels appeared to the shepherds that wonderful night – Luke 2:13-14: "And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."

2. The Giving of Gifts

• As we place our gifts beneath the tree, may it ever remind me of how God at Calvary placed His Gift, His Son, on the tree – Philippians 2:8: "And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."
• It reminds me of the gifts that the wise men gave to Christ – Matthew 2:11: "And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh."

3. The Candlelight Service

• I will light a candle as a message that goes up before Him to let him know that my faith burns bright – II Corinthians 5:7: "For we walk by faith, not by sight."
• I will light a candle to let the world know that I believe not only did He come, but also that He is coming back – John 14:1-3 "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."