For unto us a Child is born
Growing up for some of us meant Christmas spent huddling around a tree filled with gifts, a grand Christmas dinner, and lots of family gathered together. Although, that was great, not many of us remember Christ being the focus.
Gifts, most would argue are so fun to receive. Really, a lot of us look forward to those special times we know that we are receiving gifts. Those times are our birthdays and you guessed it… Christmas.
A true act of Love
A few thousand years ago, God the Creator of the universe, made big plans to have many many children who would love Him, commune with Him, take refuge in Him, and reside with Him forever and ever.
Yet, before saying the infamous words “Let there be light”, He saw the evil and wickedness that would try and thwart His awesome plan. So, God again, before even creating Adam and Eve, had a plan to save us from that evil and wickedness. How? By clothing the Word in human flesh to defeat sin, Satan, and death by becoming a living sacrifice once for all.
If that’s not love, we don’t know what is.
The Greatest Gift
Wouldn’t we all agree that Christ is the greatest gift of all? I mean without His birth, we would all be separated from God for all eternity.
Well, if Christ is the greatest gift, why do we go into debt, become more anxious about our futile gift giving, and become extremely exhausted in order to top the epic futile gift show from last year?
Our trees have more and more gifts under them and yet our kiddos don’t get any more excited each year about the number 1 greatest gift that was given to them over 200 years ago.
Our kiddos are more excited to see an elf move around the house than to light the advent candles as they are taught to look back at the birth of Christ and to look forward to Christs return.
If the birth of Christ is truly the greatest gift to ever be given, than our kiddos need to know that the gifts that are under our tree are an expression of love and giving as God gave to us that night in Bethlehem when Christ was born. They need to know that we aren’t looking forward to a fictitious man to mysteriously come down our chimney (which we don’t even have 😊) but to celebrating the greatest birthday that was and will ever be.
Christmas is not about these worldly things we have become accustomed to, Christmas is about Christ.
Hope for ALL
You see this holiday can’t only be for those who can’t ‘buy’ futile gifts. This holiday is for all who need hope. Christs birth signifies salvation for those who believe, not those who can afford a superficial holiday show.
Did you know that there are people who can’t afford to buy gifts? There are people who have no family to break bread with on Christmas day? Or, that there are some people who have no food to eat for the Christmas dinner feast? Did you know that this blessed holiday is for them too? Christmas is what makes the haves and the have nots alike, Christmas is hope for ALL! A hope for an eternity not separated from God.
There is no amount of money, no amount of food, no amount of futile gifts under the tree that can give anyone a hope like that.
We’re not implying that we don’t decorate our house, buy gifts for our kiddos, or enjoy good food on Christmas day. We know that every good and perfect gift is from the Lord. Yet, we are saying that the greatest gift of all is the birth of Christ, and this is the only gift we are purposing to teach our kiddos that really matters. Because without Christ all of our hope is lost.
Be Faithful, Be Free
T & E Young
For unto us a child is born, unto a son is given:... and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6)