For the last couple of weeks I have been talking about the truths we must know about Christmas. Today I want to talk just a bit about the meaning of Christmas in today’s world.
There are those who say that the Christian faith is obsolete. They say that it is no longer of importance today. But I disagree. I believe there is relevance to life today. Surely that is true about Christmas. So what does Christmas mean to us?
First, Christmas gives us a reason to worship. In Luke 2:13-14, we see the story of angels appearing to shepherds to announce the birth of Jesus. When they heard the story, the shepherds dropped everything they were doing to go and worship the newborn Savior. The fact is that God has broken into our world in a brand new way. Because of that, we can worship and adore him. To worship is to give him the praise and honor that he so richly deserves. I hope that you will worship the Lord this Christmas season.
Second, Christmas means God has spoken. In Luke 2:15, the shepherds said something very interesting. An angel told them about the baby’s birth, but they said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” They knew that God had spoken. And still he speaks to us through Christmas. The question is this: Are we listening?
Third, Christmas means that we must respond to God. In Luke 2:16 the shepherds had a decision to make. What would they do? They decided very quickly that they had to go, and we are told in this verse that they “hurried off.” You and I must decide what we will do with Jesus, too. Are you hurrying off to follow him?
Christmas means at least one more thing: We have something important we need to share. In Luke2:17 we are told that, after they saw the baby Jesus, “They spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child.” That means they went about sharing the good news of Jesus’ birth. They were not content to keep it to themselves. They told everyone who would listen about him. Have you told a friend about Jesus during this season? Can others see that he lives by the way that you live?
These are things we must learn at Christmas time. We sometimes say Christmas is about family, or Christmas is for children, and to some extent these things are true. But Christmas is Jesus. He is the only reason for us to celebrate. I hope you will make that so in your life.