There are a few things about Christmas that make me really sad. Probably the saddest is the number of people walking around that know the traditional “Christmas story” and their knowledge of Christianity ends there.
I grew up thinking that Christmas was around December 25 and that the wise men visited Jesus around January 6. But really, it's likely Jesus was born in the spring, and years later that the wise men came.
I also grew up thinking there were three wise men, and recently realized it was likely more--some saying up to 14.
Even with some common mistakes in the story, I knew the “story” well. I’d venture to guess all of you could ramble off a quick two to three-minute summary of the Christmas story as told in the four gospels. I bet there are countless people walking around calling themselves Christians, knowing the Christmas story, but yet not knowing the difference between religion & relationship or who Jesus really is.
Here’s a question I’ve been contemplating lately:
If a stranger came up to me and asked me to explain the Christmas story, what would I say?
Would I ramble the quick version of the Christmas story that I’ve had memorized since I was a little girl? Would I point to a nativity scene and describe the various pieces? Would I pull out my Bible and read Luke chapter 2?
I’m not saying any of these things are necessarily wrong, but they fall so short as an attempt to describe Jesus’s birth and why He came. Is it important that He was born of a virgin, in a lowly stable, God in flesh before us? Most definitely. However, Christmas is much more than the story of a nativity scene or events told of His birth in the gospels.
Most of you know that I have multiple adopted children. Three of our adopted children don’t know their birth dates. As Americans, it’s weird how much clout and importance we put on the date of our birth...
The grade we’re in, sports teams we can join, the time we can smoke, drink, vote, rent a car, foster a child, rent a hotel room….the list goes on and on. Just a couple weeks ago our oldest turned 19 and begged me to not make him a cake or special dinner. The reason for this isn’t because he doesn’t love cake or my cooking, but he feels a loss of not knowing his true birthday.
I’ve explained to my kids many times that the importance of celebrating their “birthdays” to me, their mother, is a day to celebrate THEM. Their birth, their importance as image-bearers of God, what they mean to me, and what they’ve taught me. It's a day to pray for all God has done in their lives and praying over their futures.
Do we know Jesus’s exact birthday? No.
Does that make it any less important? Of course not.
In the same way, we don’t know the day or hour of His return, but does that make it any less important?
Our pastor asked us a sobering question in his sermon recently.
“What do you want Jesus to find YOU doing when He returns?”
and I’m going to add:
- What is the Christmas story to you?
- What do you want to be caught doing or idolizing when you celebrate His first coming, or witness His second?
Focusing on all the small details of Jesus’s birth and the nativity scene may be interesting and even important, but the heart of His birth is so much more important.
The most important thing for us is that HE CAME. And He came with a purpose: to take the punishment that we deserve.
The story of Christmas goes far beyond the few chapters in the Bible that speak of Jesus’ actual birth. From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible tells the story of Jesus. God incarnate is the same redeemer spoken of to Adam and Eve in Genesis.
The “I Am” whom Abraham rejoiced was Jesus
The Lord who challenged Moses was Jesus
The Redeemer who brought the Israelites out of Egypt was Jesus
The last Adam mentioned throughout the Bible, is Jesus
The Lion of the tribe of Judah in Revelation is Jesus
The Messiah whom you and I celebrate during Christmas is Jesus.
From Adam to the last human born, the need for all humankind is Jesus.
In his Christmas devotional, “Come Let us Adore Him,” Paul David Tripp writes:
Familiarity often does bad things to us. Often when we become familiar with things, we begin to take them for granted. When we are familiar with things, we tend to quit examining them. When we are familiar with things, we tend not to celebrate them as we once did. Familiarity tends to rob us of our wonder.
Sadly, many of us aren’t gripped by the stunningly magnificent events and truths of the birth of Jesus anymore. Sadly, many of us are no longer humbled by what the incarnation of Jesus tells us about ourselves. Other things rise to levels of importance in our minds. And when other things capture and control our hearts, little room remains for wonder and worship. Familiarity often means that what is very important may no longer exercise important influence over us in the way it should.
Let us not be too shallow in our thinking of the Christmas story that we allow the familiarity of the Christmas story overtake our worship and acknowledgment this season. Through the birth that we may not know all the details of, both that Father and Son were willing to pay the price for you and for me.
So I’ll ask you again:
- What is the Christmas story to you?
- What do you want to be caught doing or idolizing when you celebrate His first coming or witness His second?
He came to us that first Christmas night and He IS coming again. Be on guard. Be ready.
