What if your life was so influential to all of mankind that
your birthday was declared a worldwide international holiday? Just picture in your mind for a moment how
wonderful and amazing your special day would be! Everyone would express their deep love and
appreciation for your life by sending you cards, delivering special gifts to you
and singing various birthday songs in your honor. All businesses would be closed that day so that people
could gather together with their family and friends for the sole purpose of celebrating
your amazing life. Can you even fathom
all of these events taking place across the globe simply because of your existence? In order to receive that kind of glory, you
would have to be someone of greatness, someone of power, some sort of royalty
or deity.
There is only One in all of mankind deserving of this kind
of birthday celebration. His miraculous birth was foretold in the Old Testament
and the prophecy was fulfilled in the New Testament. Isaiah 7:14 says, “Therefore the Lord Himself
will give you a sign: Behold the virgin
shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.” In Matthew
1:21 we are told, “She will bear a Son, and you will call His name Jesus, for
He will save His people from their sins.” Jesus chose to leave His heavenly home of
perfection to be born as a baby in a manger.
He chose to suffer and die as the substitute for our filthy sin because
of His deep love and compassion for us. Jesus
came to earth to be born as a baby to offer mankind the greatest gift of all,
salvation.
“Christ”mas is not about Santa, Rudolph, toy making elves or
finding just the right gift for family and friends. None of these traditions are wrong, in and of
themselves, but if we allow them to overshadow or replace the “true” meaning
and purpose of “Christ”mas then it is a form of idolatry! Isn’t all of this used by the master deceiver
to cloud our vision and lead us away from devoting our time and adoration to
the Savior of the world whose birthday we’re celebrating? If we’re so set on celebrating Santa driving a
sleigh across the world led by Rudolph’s red nose and singing festive songs
that don’t even mention Christ’s name, then let’s find another day to celebrate
those things and call it something other than “Christ”mas. We should NOT become distracted from giving
the proper honor, glory and ultimate praise due to the name of our precious
Savior, Jesus Christ, especially on the day that’s been set aside to honor His
birth.
One of my very
favorite songs “It’s About the Cross” hits the nail on the head in describing
the real meaning of “Christ”mas. “Christ”mas is not all about the manger, the
angels or the wise men bringing gifts.
“Christ”mas is ALL about the cross!
“Christ”mas is ALL about our sin! The ultimate and most costly gift we could
ever receive is not from our family or friends, but is the eternal life made
possible only through Jesus’ blood. John 3:16 sums up the purpose of Christmas
and why Christ came. “For God so loved
the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him
should not perish but have everlasting life.”
During this “Christ”mas season, instead of being concerned
about finding just the right presents for our loved ones, maybe we should focus
more on what gifts Jesus would like for His birthday? Jesus wants our heart,
our life, our time, our talent, our treasure and ALL of our honor, glory and
praise! May we all have a blessed
“Christ”mas this year honoring the “Christ” whose birthday is the reason we celebrate.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpybjMd_Xfs "It's About the Cross"
