We are one week away from Christmas Day.
It is remarkable to me that people will respond to that one statement of fact in a variety of ways. For some, there’s an almost giddy sense of anticipation, thinking about Christmas morning around the tree with loved ones and gifts, the warmth of love filling the room. For some, there’s a sense of anxiety due to the awareness of the increasingly limited time left to accomplish all that is needed before the holiday arrives. For some, there’s a sense of pride as a child prepares for their role in a pageant or play. And for some, there’s an oppressive heaviness of heart, preparing for the first Christmas without a loved one.
We approach Christmas with a lifetime of experiences and expectations that remind us of how Christmas has been and should be. Yet, in the midst of thinking about how we have historically celebrated Christmas, it is easy to skip past the foundational issue of why we celebrate Christmas, and the particular emotion that it should evoke. Most of our emotions surrounding Christmas are the result of how we celebrate, instead of what we celebrate.
If we turn our eyes and our hearts back to the reason why we celebrate Christmas, the emotion that should burst forth from us is joy. As the Christmas carol strongly proclaims, “Joy to the world, the Lord is come. Let earth receive her King.” God made flesh, to dwell among us, to reconcile us to the One who created us (the One we rebelled against). An expression of love that is so deep as to be incomprehensible. A gift given to us that we do not deserve, but most desperately need. Without the gift of Christ, extended to us by the grace, mercy, and love of God, we would have no reason for hope. Yet because of this amazing gift, in the form of a baby born in a manger, there is the promise of life everlasting in the arms of God. For that reason, joy should reign supreme in our hearts on Christmas.
Yes, we know that there should be parties and gifts and performances and gatherings. Yes, we have our traditions and our decorations, and all of those things evoke emotions. And it is inevitable that sadness will creep into this array of emotions when we reflect on our loved ones who aren’t with us. However, if the primary emotion that you feel as you think about the rapid approach of Christmas day is not joy, I invite you to shift your focus away from how you celebrate Christmas and spend time thinking about why you celebrate. Perhaps put on your calendar the Christmas Eve service at the church next Wednesday at 4:30, listen to some of the old carols, and marvel in the truth that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life (John 3:16).
Peace and blessings – Pastor Aaron