What Is It About Christmas?

There is something about Christmas that makes it different from other holidays. For some reason, “because it’s Christmas,” we suddenly have the urge to do really strange and weird things. We do things at Christmas time that we wouldn’t be caught dead doing any other time of year.

Just look around! At what other time of year could you hang lights on your house, your trees, your bushes, and set up lawn decorations for a month and be on good terms with your neighbors? When they built a Jordan’s Furniture in Reading, MA, the neighboring town of Wakefield made them use lower wattage lighting than they wanted because people of Wakefield complained that the light ruined the ambience of Lake Quannapowit at night. But instead of neighbors or calling the town to complain about houses that are awash in bilking lights and Christmas decorations, we call our friends and tell them, “You have to come out and see this, and bring the kids!”

Christmas moves us to set up trees in our living rooms and decorate them with things we never use any other time of year.

Christmas moves us to spend lots of extra money on gifts for friends and family that we don’t do on any other holiday.

What is it about Christmas that would make us want to come and stand and sing together on dark and cold winter’s night? If I were to invite you all to my house any other night and sing songs you all would think I was on drugs!

What is it about Christmas? What makes it different?

I think the reason is that God did something so amazing, so unique, so powerful, that we are still caught up in its effects today.

Christmas, I know, means many things to many people, but to me, Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Jesus was no ordinary child, even though He was born in a very ordinary way. Jesus was no ordinary son. He was God’s Son. That was what the angel told Mary, and what God confirmed to Joseph in a dream. In fact, Mary and Joseph did not name Him, God named Him. They were told what they were to call him. They were to call Him Jesus. He was a gift from God, a gift that only He could give.

Jesus was special because He was going to live up to His name. Jesus means “The Lord saves.” Shepherds were watching sheep that would one day be sacrificed at the Temple. Angels came and said to them “Peace on Earth, good will to men.” God was coming with forgiveness. The Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world was born. The Savior was born.

When we love someone we give them our best. Love loves to give the best. What makes Christmas special is that God gave us His best. God’s gift of Jesus was a gift that addresses needs we didn’t know we had. Yes, we know we are not perfect, we know we need forgiven (if you don’t just ask your wife or husband! If you’re single, ask your mother!). We don’t know how serious our situation is, or what it would cost to get it fixed. But God is always at His best and He cared enough to give you His best. He knew it was the gift we needed, not the gift we deserved. He knew we could not afford it. He knew we could not earn it. He knew we wouldn’t ever try. But God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

That kind of love, that kind of grace, changes things. When it becomes Christmas time, we brush up against that grace—and joy, peace, gratitude, and giving ensues.

The real question is, when December 26^th comes are we going to pack up baby Jesus along with our trees, lights, decorations, and Christmas outfits and put them away for another year, or are we going to accept God’s gift; are we going to receive Him and trade our yearly bump into God’s grace, for a daily living in it?