I always felt guilty as a child on Christmas morning, when I opened a treasure trove of presents. I say guilty because I knew next door or down the road, my friends were nearly bare under their Christmas tree.
Although Christmas is a lot about giving and receiving gifts, and family get togethers, sometimes the true meaning of Christmas is lost, in all the hullabalo.
Most of us can talk of the origins of Christmas- that it is a remembrance of the birth of Christ. But few of us have much knowledge of why we should really celebrate Christmas. Just a little hint. Its not Santa Claus, although my eyes sometimes tear up when I see a toddler in Santa’s lap. It’s not the Christmas tree, that each year becomes more and more expensive. I use to sell them for $2. This year, I paid $50 for mine.
No, in the Christian faith, it’s about the coming of Christ. For thousands of years mankind waited for their King to arrive and free the world of oppression. The Bible is full of scripture pointing directly to the One who would save mankind from their sins. Isaiah described His coming as an infant. Celebrating the true meaning of Christmas means we are celebrating the moment in when prophecy was fulfilled.
Obviously it is nice to give and receive gifts. Joseph and Mary certainly were given gifts for baby Jesus. But we really we should be taking time this holiday season to reflect on who we are, and how we can be better as a society and person. We should choose reverence and give honor where honor is due. We should be humble. But most of all we should offer help to the less fortunate.
Did you know how the birth of Jesus came about? Here’s how Matthew described it: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph; but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
So when we all gather around the dining room table with that big turkey or ham ready to be served, we need to say little prayer and thank the Lord for bringing Jesus in to our lives, for it was he who made this world a better place in which to live.
Sunday, December 22, 2024
