This is one of the Christmas trees at my church. We will walk past it for weeks on the way to attend service, and many times we won't even pay much attention to it. This specific view of the tree is my favorite. Can you see why?

We use the Christmas tree in our celebration of the birth of little baby Jesus. Our Savior and King. Our Hope and Peace.

"For unto us a child is born,

to us a son is given;

and the government shall be upon his shoulder,

and his name shall be called

Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of his government and of peace

there will be no end,

on the throne of David and over his

kingdom,

to establish it and uphold it

with justice and righteousness

from this time forth and forevermore."

Isaiah 9:6-7 ESV

The birth of a baby who everyone expected to grow, grow up, and become the King. Just like the other kings before him had done. He was not born into a palace so only the rich and royal could claim him. His mother, a young girl, was not unlike most young girls of her time. His first visitors were shepherds, common people.

What no one expected, or knew, was that this child was born to die. Not "born to live a normal life then die because that's what people do." He was born to die, to be the perfect sacrifice needed so each believer could spend eternity in heaven instead of hell. He was born with the Cross in mind. Look at the picture again. Both are there; the celebration of His birth, and the reminder of His victory over sin and death. Full circle in one picture frame, easy and complicated all at the same time.

Sometimes it can be hard to find Hope and Peace during the holidays. Consumerism, Santa, Christmas parties, spending too much money, not having enough money to spend, strained family relations, and a plethora of other worldly concerns can take our focus off of the real reason we have Hope and Peace. The concerns are real, but finding the hot toy of 2016 or running up your credit card bill will not bring you hope or peace. This Christmas season, find real the Hope and Peace that all the symbolism and consumerism point to but won't tell you about.

If you know Him, share Him with others. If you don't know Him, meet Him today and enjoy the season in a wonderful new way. If you need an introduction, let us know. We will be glad to introduce you to Him.

Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. God's greatest Gift to a world full of people completely unable to save themselves. Our Hope. Our Peace.

Jesus.