Merry Christmas Eve! It is a day when children of all ages experience the overwhelming excitement of celebrating, arguably, the best holiday of the year. Yesterday was Christmas Adam. It’s the day before Christmas Eve. Being the good uncle that I am, I have made a big deal of “Christmas Adam” with my nieces and nephews. I like to tell them that they all get to open at least one present, but, alas, my mom and sisters usually stand in the way.
I was talking with my niece yesterday when she called to remind me that it was “Christmas Adam.” She was uncontrollably excited for Christmas, so I asked her what Christmas was all about. She told me, “Getting and giving gifts.” I told her to try again and she said, “Spending time with family.” I had to ask a few more times, but she eventually got a little closer to the true meaning of Christmas. She exclaimed, “It’s Jesus’ Birthday!”
Of course, that is only mostly right. What are we really doing when we are celebrating Christmas? It’s not technically the birthday of Jesus. It was chosen for the Church calendar due to a number of contributing factors, but it has risen to prominence as one of the most celebrated holidays around the world. There are people who participate in Christmas that have never even stepped foot inside of a Church, and many others who go to Church but still don’t know the significance of what Christmas is all about.
A BIRTHDAY
First, it is the day that we remember the birth of Jesus. We celebrate a lot of birthdays for important people: George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Adam Miller. Oh, you didn’t know? Of course you are welcome to celebrate my birthday.
As I already noted before, we don’t know the actual day that Jesus was born, and it is highly unlikely that it was actually on December 25. But when we do celebrate Christmas, we must also remember that this birthday was very different from every other birthday. Jesus did not come into being the moment He was conceived in the virgin Mary. He has always existed and, in fact, brought everything else into existence by His own creating power.
What we are really celebrating at Christmas is the incarnation of God into His own creation. That God would lower Himself to enter into our world, so that He might be Emmanuel, God with us. This is the greatest miracle in the Bible. It is not simply that Jesus, being God would appear like one of us, but the immortal God took on mortal flesh so that He might be with us.
A SPECIAL HOLIDAY
As a holiday, Christmas is celebrated in every corner of the world, and it is justifiably fitting. We celebrate a lot of holidays that are based on major events: Independence Day and Memorial Day. We remember these days because they changed the course of history dramatically.
Christmas is arguably the most significant altering of history. The world had fallen into utter darkness. God’s people had either been in exile or under foreign oppressors for over 400 years. The glory of God no longer resided in the temple in Jerusalem. It is one of the lowest moments in Israel’s history.
But then, a glimmer of hope appeared. Jesus was born in a stable to two lowly peasants. The God of creation, the savior of the world, the hope for humanity came into our world as a tiny light, barely recognized by anyone other than a few lowly shepherds and foreign wisemen. But it was this moment that would change the world. This was the origin of a new covenant, the inauguration of a new kingdom, and the promise of a new creation. The long awaited and prophesied Messiah had come. “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased” Luke 2:14.
A MEMORIAL
We also celebrate holidays to remember the sacrifices others have made for the sake of humanity: Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Memorial Day, and September 11. This is good because it is important to remember the price that was paid for us to enjoy the peace that we have been given.
Christmas is really the story of sacrifice. Jesus lowered Himself to become a human being, but more importantly, He died in our place so that we might live. Jesus came to save us from our sin. Sin consumes us in darkness and keeps us from God. We cannot have peace, true peace, as long as there is sin in us and this world.
Jesus came to save us and He did it by dying on the cross. This is why He was born. He lived a sinless life. The one person who didn’t deserve to die, He died in our place. He bore the punishment for our sins so that we could come before God the Father as guiltless. He gave us the gift of His own righteousness so that we could stand before the Father as sons and daughters, joint heirs with Christ. He came into our lives so that He could drive out the darkness of sin in our hearts, and we could live as witnesses to the light of the gospel.
This is what Christmas is really about. We celebrate that Jesus took on human flesh as a baby so that He could be God with us. He came into a dark world so that His light would restore His kingdom. He has given us the gift of His righteousness so that we might be with God. Let’s remember that as we celebrate Christmas this year. It’s not simply a birthday, holiday, or special event. It is the glory of God shining in our hearts.
