Celebrate Christ
But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. – Luke 2:10-11
What is Christmas? What does it means you? Really we celebrated Christmas?
What happens in Christmas?
- Joy
- Celebrations
- Gifts
- Food
But also,
- Drunkenness
- Accidents
- Remorse
- Expenses/debts
- Envies
Is this the way to celebrate Christmas? Is this how Christ wants us to celebrate his birth? Definitively no.
How do we celebrate George Washington’s or Martin Luther King’s birthdays? Do we put their birth figures in our homes? No way. Rather we remember the important things they did during their lives. Should we do the same thing when we celebrate Jesus’ birthday? There is nothing wrong remembering the story of his birth, but the most important thing is to remember what Jesus did for us.
When we celebrate George Washington’s or Martin Luther King’s birthdays we remember their ideals and the things they fought for. If we did not share those ideals we would not celebrate their birthdays. In the case of Jesus, we certainly share his ideals, but when we commemorate his birthday we seldom remember the things Jesus did for us, including his sacrifice.
To commemorate is to honor the memory with a ceremony. We honor individuals whose birthdays we commemorate by fighting for the same ideals as they did. When we commemorate the birthday of Jesus we should honor him by fighting for his same ideals, such as Love, Justice, Truth, and Holiness.
When we go to a birthday party, we give a gift to the person celebrating his/her birthday. But what gift do we have for Jesus? He does not need anything, except that we keep doing the work that he began.
I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. – John 14:12
Which are some of these works?
- Preach the good news
- Love our neighbors
- Love our enemies
- Help people in need
So if we really want to celebrate Christmas, let us do so in a way that honors Christ. How? Fulfilling his purpose for us:
As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. – John 17:18
He said to them, Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. – Mark 16:15
Let’s rescue Christmas from what it has become, and celebrate with joy not only the birth, but the life, death and resurrection of him who gave us life.
Make a difference. In this Christmas celebrate Christ.
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