8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”
15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
—The words of the Apostle Luke from Luke 2:8-20
What does Christmas really mean?
Looking at the television, as I write this blog post, it appears that Christmas in 2012 means:
- Protestors from one side of an issue punching protestors from another side of the issue and tearing down the tent they’ve pitched to protect themselves from the elements.
- A masked gunman shooting shoppers in a Portland, Oregon, mall; killing two shoppers and himself.
- Christians right to celebrate Christmas assailed at every turn by those who would not even think about similarly attacking people of the Islam religion.
- Politicians of all stripes unable to abandon their ideology and solve real problems.
- A lack of genuine leadership on the part of leaders who advance only their own agenda without considering the effect on the people they supposedly serve.
- Some of the most hateful, demonizing comments hurled between opponents in virtually every arena of life.
- A nation of people who will camp for four days outside an Apple Store to get the latest gadget, but would likely seldom, if ever, attend church on a regular basis.
- A wholesale attempt to marginalize people of sincere Christian faith because they choose to earnestly follow Scripture, rather than bend to the ever-downward spiral of our nation’s culture.
And, as I said at the beginning of this random list, these are but a tiny sample of what I observe in one hour-long news broadcast.
Shall I become a Jeremiah and lament the loss of the nation I grew up in as a boy? Shall I hold my tongue lest I offend someone? Shall I live in fear that writing the wrong words at the wrong time will leave me vulnerable to criticism and disdain?
I honestly don’t know the answer to those questions. I do know that Christmas has absolutely nothing to do with the items on my list above. The one and only true meaning of Christmas resides in the very name: “Christ” and “mas”—the birth of the Christ.
The word “Christ” is simply the Greek equivalent word for the Hebrew word “Messiah.” And, just as our Jewish friends continue to wait for the coming of the Messiah, we Christians celebrate His first coming as a baby in Bethlehem of Judea and wait with eager anticipation for His second coming as a conquring King.
Christmas is all and only about Jesus: Christ’s Mass—the birth of the Christ or Messiah. No matter what Christmas has come to mean to our selfish and self-aggrandizing culture, it remains the celebration of the birth of the deliverer of mankind from the shackles of sin.
Please click here to listen to Shawna Edwards sing a song that seems most appropriate to this theme.
May you set aside every distraction this Christmas and focus only on the One whose name this celebration bears: the Lord Jesus Christ.
Will you please pray with me?
Thank You, God, for loving us. Thank You for sending Jesus to be our Savior. Thank You for sending us Your Holy Spirit to dwell within us.
Just a few moments of watching television reveals how desperately wicked our nation has become. Our hearts are sickened by the violent speech and violent actions that we observe.
More than at any other time in my lifetime, Precious Father, we need a great outpouring of Your peace, joy, comfort, strength, grace, and faith. Please hear our prayer and help us. Please grant us a strong sense of Your Presence this Christmas through the indwelling power of Your Holy Spirit.
We thank You for keeping us safe from the horror around us. And, we thank You for hearing our prayer in and through the precious Name of Your Son, our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
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