Christ and Christmas

There are a lot of contentious discussions on the Web about the true significance of Christmas and how we celebrate it today. Some say its roots can be found in pagan holidays; some say it’s all a marketing ploy. There might be an element of truth in these theories, but I believe that the most important truth doesn’t really have to do with the day we call Christmas; the most important truth has to do with the current holiday’s name sake, Jesus Christ.

For Christians, Christmas is the day that we commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ. We don’t for sure the date that Jesus Christ was born, but that doesn’t matter. What matters is that Jesus’ birth was an important event that should be remembered, celebrated, and reflected upon. 

Why is the birth of Jesus Christ important? Because we as humans are inescapably drawn to destructive behaviors, both personally and publicly, like moths to flame. Jesus’ birth, then death, then resurrection, released us from the irresistible draw of the flame. Every person that accepts these truths is bestowed with the gift of freedom, freedom to resist the draw of the flame that we Christians call sin, freedom to live a contented life, and freedom to know that death is not the end for those who accept Jesus Christ.

These are hard truths to accept. Most of us want to see ourselves as essentially good, but when some of us realize the opposite, then we become aware of the full weight of sin on our hearts, and when we discover that there is a way to release that weight, well, then our despair is turned to pure joy. That struggle and resolution is the process of salvation.

Given the intense joy that comes with salvation, it’s surprising that we only celebrate Jesus’ birth once a year. But it’s no surprise that Christmas, the day we’ve selected to celebrate Christ’s birth, is a day marked with great joy. With Christ, it can be the kind of joy that is not disturbed by loss, lack of money, family disfunction, or any human struggle. If you have not experienced this kind of joy, then I hope you will soon.

If you’d like to know more about the concepts discussed in this post, check out the Bible verses below.  In the meantime, I hope you have a very merry Christmas!

The birth of Christ, visitation of the angels, and recognition at the temple. Luke 2:1-38

Visit of the wise men and presentation of gifts to the newborn king. Matthew 2:1-11

According to God, all our thoughts are evil, and even our righteousness falls short. Genesis 6:5, Isaiah 64:4-8

No one is Righteous, we all fall short. Romans 3:9-20

Christ has taken on human form and identifies with us to set us free from sin. Hebrews 2:11-15

Sin is death, but we have eternal life through Christ. Romans 6:20-23

In turning to Christ we have a living hope and salvation. 1Peter 1:3-9

We can be content in any circumstance with God’s help. Philippians 4:11-13

Here's a link to an online accessible version of the Bible in case you wish to use it to check the above referenced verses. Audio Bible Online