Tinsel or Truth?: December 18
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
Luke 2:11 (ESV)
Last December, I dreaded the Christmas season. I could feel the pressure and the expectation of consumerism that has come to pervade and re-define the season. The desire to hide from the season crossed my mind.
Not only is it consumerism, it is also commercialism. These have come to define Christmas for many of us and especially for the children. Each year, it seems, there is less expression of the true meaning of Christmas. Instead, commercialism, materialism, and consumerism pervade the atmosphere of the season. Christmas songs tell of Santa, Rudolph, and Frosty. Every now and then, one comes across a lonely manager scene amidst a sea of tinsel and glitter.
Christmas in the Christian faith means that Jesus, the Son of the Almighty God, came to be born into our world as a baby. In Isaiah 7:14, the prophet prophesied this birth: “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” Matthew’s Gospel records the fulfillment of this prophecy when the angel appeared to Joseph: “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus because he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).
Jesus, the Son of God, was born as a baby. He came to save the fallen
From their sin. Christmas, then, is a time that is set aside to remember this. Christmas is a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus, our Savior.
This Christmas season, let us be mindful of the true meaning of Christmas. Let us be mindful in how we celebrate the birth of Jesus in our lives and in our families.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you that You came into this world as a baby to save us from our sins. Help us to understand and reflect on Your birth during this Christmas season. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.