December 12th, 2022
Written by Tabitha White
A young girl unexpectedly pregnant.
A new husband searching for a place to stay for the night.
Night shift shepherds.
An angel choir.
A swaddled baby, who just happens to be sent to save the world.
I can’t imagine that these were the ingredients that came to mind when the prophets of the Old Testament were writing about the coming Messiah. When Isaiah wrote, “For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us,” do you think that Isaiah was picturing a stable and a manger as the bed where this baby would lay? But God took these simple pieces and crafted a beautiful night that forever changed the course of human history!
This holy night can sometimes be overshadowed by our striving for a perfect Christmas season. We run all over town with a mile long to-do list to make sure that we check off all of the boxes we think are required each year. Like a baby playing with wrapping paper and ignoring the actual gift, we can focus on the busyness of Christmas and forget the magnitude of that holy night. So, I want to challenge you to take a few minutes, forget your to-do list, and look freshly at the story of Christmas through the eyes of a child…the eyes that still see the wonder and hope that the angels came to proclaim to an unlikely audience!
I asked a few moms of Kindergarteners to ask their kids what Christmas means to them.
According to Selah (age 5), Christmas means, “Helping people, giving things to people. I think about Jesus’ birthday, and we celebrate Him. I think about God and how much He loves us.“
Cayden (age 5) said that Christmas is, “Getting new ornaments because Jesus is born every year.”
Asher (age 6) explained, “Christmas makes me think of God and Jesus and my family and also gingerbread houses…and everybody that I love!”
William (age 6) enthusiastically summed it all up by saying, “It’s the BEST time of the year!”
Even in Kindergarten, they each understand that there’s just something special about the Christmas season. They may not understand the full theological impact of a Savior that became human to take away their sins, but they know that Jesus’s birthday is a reason to celebrate!
I absolutely love all of the fanfare of Christmas. Bring on the Christmas lights, start the Christmas music in September, and let’s bake all of the Christmas goodies…but what happens when that is all stripped away? When we bring the story down to its most basic pieces? Christmas becomes the story of a Savior who left His throne in Heaven to become like His creation. A young girl that undoubtedly faced ridicule for believing and walking in the promise that “nothing is impossible with God.” A group of shepherds that were chosen to be the first to hear about the birth of the Messiah. An angel choir that loudly proclaimed, “Today in the city of David a Savior has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord!”
Christmas comes down to Jesus…
“So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.” –John 1:14
My prayer for each of us this season is that we embrace the humility and simplicity of the Christmas story! That we truly understand His unfailing love and faithfulness towards us! That we keep Him at the center of everything that we do, today and everyday! This year, more than any other, may we truly know the Christ that is the reason for our Christmas day!
A young girl unexpectedly pregnant.
A new husband searching for a place to stay for the night.
Night shift shepherds.
An angel choir.
A swaddled baby, who just happens to be sent to save the world.
I can’t imagine that these were the ingredients that came to mind when the prophets of the Old Testament were writing about the coming Messiah. When Isaiah wrote, “For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us,” do you think that Isaiah was picturing a stable and a manger as the bed where this baby would lay? But God took these simple pieces and crafted a beautiful night that forever changed the course of human history!
This holy night can sometimes be overshadowed by our striving for a perfect Christmas season. We run all over town with a mile long to-do list to make sure that we check off all of the boxes we think are required each year. Like a baby playing with wrapping paper and ignoring the actual gift, we can focus on the busyness of Christmas and forget the magnitude of that holy night. So, I want to challenge you to take a few minutes, forget your to-do list, and look freshly at the story of Christmas through the eyes of a child…the eyes that still see the wonder and hope that the angels came to proclaim to an unlikely audience!
I asked a few moms of Kindergarteners to ask their kids what Christmas means to them.
According to Selah (age 5), Christmas means, “Helping people, giving things to people. I think about Jesus’ birthday, and we celebrate Him. I think about God and how much He loves us.“
Cayden (age 5) said that Christmas is, “Getting new ornaments because Jesus is born every year.”
Asher (age 6) explained, “Christmas makes me think of God and Jesus and my family and also gingerbread houses…and everybody that I love!”
William (age 6) enthusiastically summed it all up by saying, “It’s the BEST time of the year!”
Even in Kindergarten, they each understand that there’s just something special about the Christmas season. They may not understand the full theological impact of a Savior that became human to take away their sins, but they know that Jesus’s birthday is a reason to celebrate!
I absolutely love all of the fanfare of Christmas. Bring on the Christmas lights, start the Christmas music in September, and let’s bake all of the Christmas goodies…but what happens when that is all stripped away? When we bring the story down to its most basic pieces? Christmas becomes the story of a Savior who left His throne in Heaven to become like His creation. A young girl that undoubtedly faced ridicule for believing and walking in the promise that “nothing is impossible with God.” A group of shepherds that were chosen to be the first to hear about the birth of the Messiah. An angel choir that loudly proclaimed, “Today in the city of David a Savior has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord!”
Christmas comes down to Jesus…
“So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.” –John 1:14
My prayer for each of us this season is that we embrace the humility and simplicity of the Christmas story! That we truly understand His unfailing love and faithfulness towards us! That we keep Him at the center of everything that we do, today and everyday! This year, more than any other, may we truly know the Christ that is the reason for our Christmas day!
5 Comments
Yes! It all comes down to Jesus!
Simplicity at its BEST, Jesus
Thank you Pastor Tabitha! Merry Christmas!
Beautifully written. Thank you for pointing us back to the simple truth of why we celebrate.
This!! This is what I needed today as I prepare for a very busy day. Praying that I keep the focus properly on the simplicity of the real meaning of Christmas. Beautifully written!!