What a comfort to know God is all-wise, choosing the absolute best in every single decision. This attribute is particularly evident in His careful execution of the details surrounding the birth of Jesus. At the beginning of time, God the Father was already preparing to send His Son into the world at exactly the right moment and under perfect circumstances.
An Angelic Announcement—The declaration of the Messiah’s arrival came from the lips of an angel rather than a common man. Therefore, the shepherds who heard had no reason to disbelieve the truth or to keep it to themselves. They did not stand around, debating and philosophizing about the news; they spread the word among friends and family, as God knew they would.
The Virgin Birth—In order to be perfectly sinless so that He could die for our wrongdoing, the Savior could not be the product of a human union. Instead, the Father used a miracle to wrap the Son in flesh but still preserve His divinity.
His Manger Bed—A palace is a fitting birthplace for a king, but a stable is the perfect spot for the arrival of the sacrificial Lamb of God. Jesus’ humble beginnings make Him more accessible to every man, rich or poor.
A Perfect Name—The name Jesus was frequently used in those days, which fit the Lord’s desire to be associated with the common man. Even more fitting is the name’s meaning: Jehovah’s deliverer. Jesus’ name stated the reason for His coming— His purpose was to deliver mankind from the penalty of sin.
If personal faith plays a major role in a family’s life, then observance of Jesus’ birthday will reflect the depth of their beliefs. But all too often, we see people drifting away from celebrating Christmas for its true meaning. Whether through indifference, ignorance, or deception, culture is heading down the path of least resistance—away from God and all that is sacred.
The prevailing attitude today, even in some churches, is that Christmas is secular rather than religious. There is frequently more interest in exchanging gifts than in sharing the Good News of this special day. Many people prefer the more “tolerant” word holiday as a substitute for Christmas. But believers should not think this way. As Christ-followers who realize that our eternal future is in the Savior’s hand, we need to know and demonstrate the difference between a holiday and a holy day.
Christmas is a commemoration of the historic moment when God became man in order to live among us. The creator and sustainer of life died on a cross so that we could live sinless in a sin-filled world before the Father. If we have experienced the amazing grace of Jesus Christ, we certainly have cause to celebrate. And we have reason to share our faith with as many people as possible—in that way, their joy on this day can be as full and rich as our own.
We cannot allow ourselves to drift into a materialistic view of Christmas along with the rest of the world. In a month of colored lights and glowing candles, we should be burning brighter than ever as His “light” to the world.
