The Real Meaning of Christmas

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. (John 1:1, 14)

Are you beginning to feel the surge of the Christmas rush? For many, the Christmas rush began the first day after Thanksgiving. The shopping malls began to extend their hours by opening up early for those crazy enough to get up for the morning specials, and now they are staying open late for the last minute shoppers. You can literally shop yourself to exhaustion. The weeks before Thanksgiving and Christmas are turning into a spectacle of lights with credit cards getting maxed out and tons of presents under the tree. According to society, the climatic moment is only a few days away.

What if every home on the corner didn’t have any lights hanging? What if you were going through a difficult time financially and could only afford to buy your meals this Christmas? What if you had someone in the hospital or had lost a loved during this year that was not going to be at the family gathering? Could you still have a Merry Christmas? If your standards of Christmas are based solely on the next few days of joy and excitement, then the Christmas message has been lost in your home. Every child loves to get presents and to know that they are loved. Parents love being able to give their children their needs and a few of their wants. These next few days are precious moments where families become close, love begins to abound and the hustle and bustle seems to cease for a few days. However, what will you and I be doing on December 26th when the celebration is over?

The real meaning of Christmas is not found in the city lights of Main Street but in a lowly manger. God had been speaking throughout the years that a Messiah would be born who would take away the sins of the people. He promised Adam and Eve that the seed of the woman would crush the head of Satan. He later promised Abraham that in his seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. God promised King David that his throne would be established forever. This promised person would be born by a virgin birth. He would also be born in Bethlehem. His name would be called Immanuel meaning “God with us”! God had dwelt with the children of Israel in the tabernacle and the Temple, but now He would come to dwell with us. What an overwhelming thought that the God of all Creation would take on the form of man!

As the Son of God entered the world, He came for a specific purpose. He came that we might know God. First Timothy 2:5 says, “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” Although you and I have failed miserably in living up to God’s standard of holiness, God in His mercy and grace sent His only begotten son to this earth to wear the sinner’s crown. He came to bear our sins. From his birth in a manger, he was showing us that He was the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Through His birth, sinless life and death, we can now be reconciled to God. The greatest thing about God’s gift to man is that you do not have to have a dime in your pocket. God does not look on the outward appearance but directly at your heart. “The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit” (Psalms 34:18).

The birth of Christ changes everything. Its truth can bring hope to the hopeless, possibilities to the impossible and peace to the hearts of men. When the Christmas rush ends, remember that everyday is a day to celebrate the greatest gift—eternal life through Jesus Christ, God’s Son!