“In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.” —Luke 2:1-7 (ESV)
“There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots. The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD. His delight is in the fear of the LORD, and He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, nor decide by the hearing of His ears; but with righteousness He shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins, and faithfulness the belt of His waist.” —Isaiah 11:1-5
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth... And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” —John 1:14, 16-17
December seems somewhat unsuitable for the appearance of the promised hope of Christmas—the gospel message of the birth, life and purpose of Jesus. Why then is this month of long, cold nights proper for celebrating the “Dayspring from on high”?
The audacious claim of Christmas is that, to redeem us, God Himself came in the most vulnerable human form. Multiple prophecies foretold His birth in Bethlehem of a virgin mother, of the line of David. Each prophecy is more than a prediction; it is a promise. He is the Messiah, the Promised One, Emmanuel, who fulfills the promise of reconciliation for us with God. The long ages of alienation between man and God were at an end.
We lead fairly schizophrenic lives during the Christmas season in America. Our popular holiday rituals are bifurcated between the sacred and the secular; between the very worldly commercial extravaganza of Christmas as offered by retail department stores—when they have the courage to employ the word ‘Christmas’ — and recognize Christianity as celebrating the birth of Our Lord.
How reaffirming it would be to return to the good old days of our childhood, when civic centers and public buildings routinely featured not just decorated and lighted trees, snowmen and Santa Claus, but a Nativity scene depicting Mary, Joseph, the Baby Jesus and the Three Wise Men. No one was being asked to subscribe to belief in the divinity of Christ because of these displays, but it was an acknowledgement that the overwhelming majority of Americans celebrated the birth of this man, Jesus.
Today, Christianity and it’s leader Jesus Christ are routinely being removed from public view so as not to offend anyone uncomfortable with the implications of and true meaning of the Christmas season. One can’t help but wonder at the unevenness of this policy. Should Christians, Jews and Moslems take offense when Chinese restaurants feature statues of Buddha at their entryways? Should public buildings be forced to remove any Persian rugs that feature the prayer rug design, in fear that not doing so is somehow an endorsement of Islam? Should public museums remove any paintings that depict religious figures or themes? Should public orchestras and choruses be forbidden from playing Handel’s Messiah this year? Should corporations similarly worry that they shouldn’t be making donations that would be used to promote cultural celebrations of religious themes, in fear that they will antagonize non-believers or those of different religious faiths? Some people, no doubt, would answer yes to all these questions.
Forget “tis the season”... this is the “age” of being politically correct. The age of hyper-sensitivity to the religious images and themes of all things Christian. The increasingly successful effort to purge Christmas from our culture proceeds unabatted, uncontested, even by devoted Christians. Today, the municipal Christmas trees have been re-christened as ‘holiday trees,’ schools ban Christmas decorations and the singing of Christmas carols during holiday programs as as not to offend anyone not Christian. Christmas parades are now holiday parades and feature nothing that resembles a Nativity or refernece to Jesus. The ‘holiday’ celebrated by 95% of the American people at this time of the year is called Christmas. This feels like the tail wagging the dog... a very small minority of protestors with majority influence. How sad. Christmas means... “Mass of Christ”... it’s about the birth of the Savior of humanity... the Christ. So why is there so much division and divisiveness caused by a single day of remembrance of the birth of the Messiah? Because He said it would happen.
President Ronald Reagan understood the true meaning of the Christmas season as expressed in these words... “The Nativity story of nearly twenty centuries ago is known by all faiths as a hymn to the brotherhood of man. For Christians, it is the fulfillment of age-old prophecies and the reaffirmation of God’s great love for all of us. Through a generous Heavenly Father’s gift of His Son, hope and compassion entered a world weary with fear and despair and changed it for all time. On Christmas, we celebrate the birth of Christ with prayer, feasting, and great merriment. But, most of all, we experience it in our hearts. For, more than just a day, Christmas is a state of mind. It is found throughout the year whenever faith overcomes doubt, hope conquers despair, and love triumphs over hate. It is present when men of any creed bring love and understanding to the hearts of their fellow man. The feeling is seen in the wondrous faces of children and in the hopeful eyes of the aged. It overflows the hearts of cheerful givers and the souls of the caring. And it is reflected in the brilliant colors, joyful sounds, and beauty of the winter season. Let us resolve to honor this spirit of Christmas and strive to keep it throughout the year.”
The concerted effort to minimize Christmas has resulted in it becoming our national Happy Holiday... holiday. The Christmas season is now the holiday season. Christmas parties are now holiday parties. Christmas is a time for giving and receiving presents and in many homes, nothing more. It’s no wonder so many non-Christians have no clue and wonder... "Who is this fellow, Jesus Christ, anyway?"
And for all Christians... it’s time to stand and be counted and be known as one of His people. Who is Jesus to you? Is He the “Good News” that came in human form? Is He a Jesus of your own design, crafted in your mind to suit your lifestyle? Or is He the Master of your life? Is He only the Christ of history and legend? Or is He the living, reigning Lord of Lords, King of Kings? Is Jesus only a small part of your life? Or is He your whole life? Is He your Lord?
Happy Holidays! Opps... I mean Merry Christmas!
