I was having lunch with a friend today and she said something that really struck me. We sat beside an electric fireplace with Christmas decorations all around us amidst the church crowd giddy after the first Christmas message of the year sipping our teas. It was an innocent remark, and yet one that I have been unable to let go of all day...
Nowhere in our Bible are we told to remember His birth. His death and resurrection? Yes. (2 Timothy 2:8) His sacrifice? Yes. (Luke 22:19) But we aren't ever told to remember His birth. Which seems odd to me.
Many prophecies of the Old Testament (somewhere between 200 and 400 depending upon the source) are directly connected to Jesus. Several are pretty specific concerning His birth. (see a few here.) Given the uniqueness--virgin conception, a star that led others to Him, angels appearing and announcing His birth etc--of this birth, not to mention that this is the SON of GOD in human form after all, it makes sense that we would want to make a big deal of it. What family doesn't celebrate the birth of a new child?
But in the grand scheme of things, God knew that as miraculous as it was for Jesus to step down from heaven and allow himself to be born as a helpless human baby, that wasn't truly the miracle. That wasn't His purpose. And ultimately he wants us to remember the purpose, because that is everything.
I'll admit, I love the pretty lights, the Christmas songs on the radio, the way people seem to be a little more willing to help each other out at this time of year. While I do tend to experience some increased stress and times of depression during December, ultimately it is typically an uplifting time of the year. I think that for those of us who have surrendered our lives to Jesus, His birth is a promise of hope.
God's chosen people were under the thumb of the Romans and were desperate for release. They were watching for the signs of the promised king that would free them from tyranny. They were full of hope and longing that He would come soon.
I think many of us today feel the same way. We feel the pressure of this world, of society, of job expectations or family expectations. It can be overwhelming and leave us longing and hoping for more. Our souls know we were made for more....
And this is why I think we celebrate Christmas. You see, many of God's chosen people missed the blessing of Jesus' birth because they were looking for the wrong thing. They were seeking the warrior king who would physically fight to free them. He is coming, but first He had to make a way for us to join Him. I think we get wrapped up in the wrong thing too. Jesus birth was/is an amazing fulfillment of prophecy, but it just sets the stage for His real accomplishment - His death.
I like to think of that helpless infant lying in a manger surrounded by His earthly mom and dad with the cattle gently lowing in the background. It is easier for me to celebrate this time in His life that is so easy for most of us to relate to - the joy of new life. What I don't like to think on is the circumstances of His death; the pain He chose to endure, both physical and emotional. I don't like to admit that His horrific death was done as a sacrifice for me, for you. An experience that I hope I can never relate to that He didn't ask for, that He actually requested to not have to undergo if there was any other way to accomplish the end goal. (Luke 22:42)
And yet that gruesome sacrifice is where the salvation truly comes from. Not His birth. So why do we get so offended when someone says, "happy holidays" at this time of year and yet we are content to let a little rabbit take center stage during the time of year we set aside to remember the true gift of His life on earth - His death. Why do we put magnets on our cars to remind people to not take the "Christ out of Christmas" in December and invite the neighborhood kids to join us after church for an Easter Egg hunt in the Spring?
Don't get me wrong, I love celebrating Christmas. My kids love our Jesse tree, our nativity traditions, baking cookies for others and all the joy and giving that this holiday traditionally brings. But I want to remember this feeling of joy when we celebrate the fulfillment of that hope at Easter.....don't you too?
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