Black Friday. Small-Business Saturday. And Cyber Monday

All three events have come and gone. I for one am grateful.

Don’t misunderstand, I like giving and receiving gifts as much as anybody. But I wonder, in the middle of the annual buying frenzy, how many of us really get Christmas anymore? Does the story of God taking on human form still matter? Have we lost our collective sense of awe over the Word (Jesus) becoming flesh?

Is Christmas for us more about the miracle, or the material?

The miracle of Christmas is simple and at the same time profound: The God who created the universe chose His Son to humble Himself and take on a human body. To live a sinless life, and die in our place for our sins. Christmas includes family, but it’s not centrally about family. Christmas includes gift-giving, but it’s primarily about the ultimate gift anyone could ever receive . . . salvation.

Christmas is the story of God the Father revealing Himself to us through His Son. Jesus said: “If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father.” Somebody once said that Jesus is God with skin on. When we look at Him, we get an accurate glimpse of what God the Father is like. When we observe Jesus’ selflessness, compassion, and His consistency in thought, word, and deed—we are treated to an accurate visual of our Heavenly Father. Many of us look at the God the Father through glasses distorted by our experience with our earthly father. Jesus brings miraculous and refreshing clarity to our vision of who God the Father is and how He relates to us.

Jesus took on human form and lived a sinless life. 33 years after His appearance on earth, He shed His innocent blood on a Roman cross, making forgiveness possible for those who unreservedly embrace Him. He paved the way for real relationship with God the Father. And gave us the sure hope of life after death.

Yes . . . Christmas still matters. The story continues to impact men, women, and children 2000+ years later. I encourage you this year to revisit the details of Jesus’ birth. Read the events surrounding His arrival, in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. Study the characters involved (Mary, Joseph, Simeon). You will come away freshly impressed—and hopefully—freshly impacted by the greatest story of all time.

Christmas is much more than material. It is a miracle.

Wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas!

John