The Reason for the Season
I love Christmas – for, perhaps, all the wrong reasons... I love the joy, the love, the sounds, the smells (mmmm...except fruitcake...yuk), the whole package.
But I was thinking this morning about how strange all of our traditions and celebrations really are when you think about it. Christmas is our celebration of the birth of Jesus – our Savior. So, I get the gift giving, and I understand the worship services and I guess the families-getting-together stuff all makes sense...
But in Jesus’ birth, God was doing something absolutely revolutionary – something absolutely unique in the history of all time. God Himself coming to be a part of His creation, coming to reveal Himself to that creation in a completely new way, coming to die as an atoning sacrifice for that creation.
This is something really powerful. It makes the bows and the gift certificates seem so...trivial, doesn’t it? Before you write me off as anti-Christmas, let me reiterate I love virtually everything about our modern and traditional celebrations of Christmas (except, of course, the aforementioned culinary abomination). But it all distracts me from the impact of what God really did that “Silent Night” so long ago.
This is what the angel told Joseph:
Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.
(Matthew 1:20-21 NRSV)
Another angel spoke to Mary:
Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end. (Luke 1:30-33 NRSV)
I sit here amazed at the God who embraces His creation like a loving father, like a nurturing mother, a God who so loves all that He made that He would come and reveal Himself to us. Reveal Himself in Jesus: who was born in a stinky barn, who lived a homeless life, who died a criminal’s death...but who was raised in the power of God and rules as King of the Universe...
Yeah, I love Christmas...for some of the right reasons, too.
But I was thinking this morning about how strange all of our traditions and celebrations really are when you think about it. Christmas is our celebration of the birth of Jesus – our Savior. So, I get the gift giving, and I understand the worship services and I guess the families-getting-together stuff all makes sense...
But in Jesus’ birth, God was doing something absolutely revolutionary – something absolutely unique in the history of all time. God Himself coming to be a part of His creation, coming to reveal Himself to that creation in a completely new way, coming to die as an atoning sacrifice for that creation.
This is something really powerful. It makes the bows and the gift certificates seem so...trivial, doesn’t it? Before you write me off as anti-Christmas, let me reiterate I love virtually everything about our modern and traditional celebrations of Christmas (except, of course, the aforementioned culinary abomination). But it all distracts me from the impact of what God really did that “Silent Night” so long ago.
This is what the angel told Joseph:
Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.
(Matthew 1:20-21 NRSV)
Another angel spoke to Mary:
Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end. (Luke 1:30-33 NRSV)
I sit here amazed at the God who embraces His creation like a loving father, like a nurturing mother, a God who so loves all that He made that He would come and reveal Himself to us. Reveal Himself in Jesus: who was born in a stinky barn, who lived a homeless life, who died a criminal’s death...but who was raised in the power of God and rules as King of the Universe...
Yeah, I love Christmas...for some of the right reasons, too.
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