What is Christmas? Santa Claus. Elves and presents. Frosty the Snowman. Good will to others. We get caught up in so much activity at Christmas, we are asked to believe in so many things. I went to four Christmas parties last week! What is important this Christmas?
Christmas, truly, is about Jesus and His birth. He came to allow each of us to be forgiven for our disobedience to God and thus truly know God. In the Gospel of John chapter 11 Jesus said to a friend named Martha, after the death of her brother whom Jesus was about to raise back to life (although Martha didn’t know it),
“I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
What do I believe? Christmas is incredibly special to me because I believe that God sent His only Son Jesus who would die as a sacrifice for our sins, our disobedience of God. He died for my disobedience of God. All I had to do was trust Jesus for forgiveness of my sins and I now have eternal life with the God the Father. I did wrong. I still do. I deserve to be punished, to die for my disobedience of God, yet God gave His Son Jesus to die in my place. How can I even understand God’s mercy? It leaves me in absolute awe of God’s love for me, for all people everywhere who will trust Him with their lives and eternal destiny.
Yes, Christmas is a time for families to be together, for friends to meet and celebrate together, but I am going to remember what we are really celebrating this Christmas. I am celebrating Jesus.
