By Cheri-Anne Rougier
On one of my early morning walks I noticed a sign in my neighbor’s front lawn that said – “K Christ in Christmas.” I probably wouldn’t have noticed it had it not been for the glow of the spotlight that emphasized the white letters. It got me thinking. Have we really removed Christ from Christmas? Is the Christmas season truly a celebration if we don’t have Jesus Christ? I didn’t realize that there could be Christmas without Christ; I thought the whole idea behind Christmas was to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ.
Today there’s very little talk about Jesus as the main idea behind Christmas celebration. It seems that it has become synonymous with shopping, spending and debt. We have been caught up in a whirlwind of Christmas sales a spending and shopping frenzy as the retail industry exploits the Christmas holidays for profits…most with not a single reference to the birth of Jesus Christ.
I will be honest, I love to see a beautifully decorated Christmas tree, and I truly enjoy the Christmas lights and Christmas carols. And of course it’s a time of giving, but we must not lose sight of the one who first gave and the basis for His giving. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.” John 3:16. Christmas is a time of love, a time to show love and a time to remember the love of God.
One of the most festive time of the year has become perhaps the highest stressed and anxiety moments of the year. An article in Psychology today says that according the National Institute of Health, Christmas is the time of year that people experience the highest incidence of depression. Some of which they have attributed to the excessive commercialization of Christmas and the pressure to spend money on gifts and incur increasing debts.
Parents are faced with feelings of inadequacy and failure if they are unable to buy gifts for their children. Sometimes forgetting that the true gifts are the children they have been blessed with. This should be the time of year for families to come together and celebrate the joy of having Christ. And I say joy because there is no gift that can give true joy except the gift of Jesus Christ. Joy is more than happiness. Strong’s concordance defines joy as grace recognized…and who is this grace? Jesus!
This Christmas let us as Christians take the lead in adorning our hearts with the love of Christ. Let us not be entangled in the pressure to buy things that cannot last forever, but only bring temporary satisfaction. A daily reminder of the birth of Jesus Christ will keep us grounded, and His birth is just as significant as His death.
Many people are celebrating, have celebrated and will celebrate Christmas with no idea of its true meaning. “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulders. And His name will be called, Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6
Christ is Christmas! Unto us a Child is born – He was born for the world and He died for the world. He was born to prove that the greatest love of all wasn’t simply a baby boy born in a manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes but God becoming flesh so that the world could be reconciled to Him. An angel told this message to the shepherds as they were watching their flocks. “For there is born to you (and I) this day in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:11
That’s the greatest celebration the world can have, it is understood that Jesus Christ is Lord and that His birth is the singlet’s greatest achievement for all of mankind. And to celebrate it without knowing Him is a monumental mistake this world could ever make. The joy of Christmas dies without Christ. There is an old hymn that says “joy to the world The Lord has come.” Indeed He has.
As the year whines down to an end, and Christmas Day is over for the world but for those of us who truly know The Lord Jesus Christ, our celebration can never be compromised in any way. Our Christmas is realized every day, because our salvation is the greatest and most precious gift ever given. If you do not know Christ, you know of Him but you don’t know Him personally, I present Him to you now. All you have to do is receive Him in your heart and confess Him with your mouth; there is none other by which we can be saved. Acts 4:10-12
“And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son does not have life.” 1 John 5:11-12. This is my Christmas gift to you because there is no greater gifts for this season than Jesus Christ Himself….won’t you receive Him?
Cheri-Anne Rougier is a Contributor to The Christian Journal and also a Pastor and Founder of Life Water Inc. a non-profit organization that provides water to rural areas in Africa and the Caribbeans. You can visit her website at www.life-water.org
