It’s the most wonderful time of the year! That’s right, Christmas is finally here! I know that we are all excited about all of the wonderful things that come with the Christmas holiday. Things like seasonal latte’s, fuzzy socks, and those infamous family reunions that sometimes test your willingness to remember to act like a child of the Lord (if you know what I mean). Regardless, Christmas is the best time of the year!
There’s more to Christmas than hot cocoa, presents, and agonizing traffic.
Like most things in life, Christmas looks better from a distance. Some people don’t feel the need to celebrate the birth of Jesus because they are too preoccupied with their gift shopping and decorating. So, they choose to look at Christmas from afar, as opposed to getting to the root of where this holiday originated from and the importance behind it. When we dig into the biblical truth of Christmas, it's extraordinary.
One of the greatest messages of the biblical Christmas is to fear not. There are accounts of God and Angles repeatedly saying “do be afraid” in the time of the preparation, prior to, and during the birth of Jesus Christ.
What can we learn from Christmas? We were not created to live in fear. As long as we follow God’s plans for our lives and we don’t allow our fears to get in the way, we will never fall. If you allow your fears to get in the way of what God calls you to do, you will miss out on being a part of the birth of supernatural change in the world for the better. That would surely be a shame.
It is also important to note that one of the biggest traps you could fall into this time a year is thinking that a bunch of superficial stuff will satisfy you. It’s not a present that we are celebrating during Christmas, it’s a person named Jesus! Christmas is not merely a holiday, it's a rescue mission.
I want to remind you that Christmas is a reminder of the wonderful gift God gave us through His son Jesus. On that day, Jesus came into the world to redeem us from our sins in a way that allowed both us and God to gain a better understanding of each other in the most personal way possible. Through Jesus, who was 100% God and 100% man, God began to understand us as humans. In doing so, he understood what if feels like to be tempted by sin and the flesh. I thank God for His son Jesus every day of my life and I celebrate His birth with every ounce of freedom He gave me when he was crucified upon that Cross!
Linus from Charlie Brown said it best:
"That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. 'Don’t be afraid!' he said. 'I bring you the good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior-yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.' 13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,'Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.'" Luke 2:8-14 (NLT)
