On December 25th of this year, countless households will experience their first Christmas with a newborn child of their own. Especially here in the United States, we think about ways that we can shower this precious infant with gifts, looking forward to establishing our own family Christmas traditions. It is a fortunate child who will grow up in a home where they were viewed as the best gift that was given to the family that particular Christmas, for that child is likely to receive love, care and encouragement during their ascent through adolescence. That child will likely grow up treasuring the blessing of the Christmas holiday, associating it with joy, warmth, and gifts aplenty.
More fortunate than this child raised in a loving home is the one who realizes that the greatest gift ever given to mankind was a child born in a manger more than 2,000 years ago. Even greater than the gift of a child given to parents who want nothing more than a baby, the birth of Jesus that day in Bethlehem represents the most significant point in all of human history, the fulfillment of a promise made by our Creator to provide a Savior to all the nations. And unlike the gifts that we tend to give on Christmas to meet our wants, the gift that God gave that first Christmas was meant to meet our need. For we have all sinned, and it is only through Jesus that we can be set free from the penalty of our sin.
Like so many of you, I treasure the traditions that we have built up in our home for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. With my girls home for the holiday, my wife and I get to enjoy two of the greatest gifts that God has ever blessed us with. Yes, there will be feasting on foods eaten perhaps only once a year, and there will be the sharing of gifts that we probably didn’t need but will certainly enjoy. Yet we will also be sure to peel away those layers of tradition and consumerism, and spend some time focusing on the very first Christmas. After all, why on earth would we want to leave the greatest Christmas present of all time sitting under the tree, left unopened? As the old saying goes, Jesus is the reason for the season.
I don’t know what your Christmas traditions are for your home, but if you haven’t already done so, would you consider making a Christmas Eve or Christmas morning church service part of your schedule? We’ll be holding a service at the church on Christmas Eve at 4:30 pm with lots of carols and merriment, and then another service on Christmas day at 10:00 am. For you see, it is a wonderful thing to grow up in a home where you know that you are loved and treasured, but it is even better to know that your Creator loved you enough to send his only begotten son as a gift to set you free and make way your path towards eternal fellowship with Him.
Peace, blessings, and Merry Christmas – Pastor Aaron