The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

 

There’s so much to love about the Christmas season. Whether it’s the time off work, the time spent with family, the good food, the gifts, or whatever makes you love Christmas, there’s no doubt why it’s called the most wonderful time of the year. This season takes me back and brings so many great memories of time spent with family over the years, and I look forward to it every year. Here’s the thing, though. So much of our culture and traditions are so wrapped up in family, food, presents, and the like, that we have almost completely forgotten the true reason for the season: the birth of Jesus Christ. 

The reason we celebrate Christmas is because it is a time of remembrance and celebration for the birth of Jesus here on the earth. The Son of God, the Second Person of the Godhead, the Savior of the world, came down from heaven and became a man. He was born to the Virgin Mary in the town of Bethlehem and His birth represented the way to salvation from sin for all humanity. In Jesus Christ alone can we find redemption from our sin and have our relationship with God restored, and Christmas is supposed to be a time to remember and celebrate that truth. The theological term for Jesus’s birth is the incarnation when God became flesh and lived on the earth among His creation. This is such an incredible fact that we just seem to glaze over so easily. Stop and think about that for a moment. The God of the universe, who created everything that exists, decided to humble Himself and become a man so that we could have a way to live eternally with Him in heaven and escape the punishment for our sins: separation from Him for all eternity in Hell. With that in mind, it’s no wonder that we celebrate His birth! 

The problem is that Christmas has become so commercialized in Western culture, especially American culture, that Jesus often falls into the background of the festivities (if He is even a part of them at all). Believers, this should never be the case! The time spent with family is great, and gifts are a blessing, but we should never put anything ahead of Jesus in our celebration of Christmas. He should always be front and center in our lives, and when we celebrate Christmas, He should be the center of the festivities. 

So, this Christmas, when you are enjoying time with your family, opening presents, and stuffing yourself with amazing food, don’t forget the real reason that we are celebrating. Make Jesus the center of your celebration; He deserves it.