I just finished reading a small book by Lee Strobel entitled “The Case for Christmas” This small book is a gift from my “favorite nurse” at the hospital where I am a chaplain and she is a communicable decease control nurse. In this book Lee investigates from a journalist view point the Child in the Manger. After reading the last chapter of this book, the identity of the Messiah, I was left wondering why man is so much involved in celebrating Christmas with feasts and not faith in this Messiah. Christmas than becomes the celebration of man.We have all heard the statement, “the feeling of Christmas is in the air”. For most people December brings along with the cold and winter some special feelings. In fact this is my first white Christmas. My family and I are enjoying it in Columbus Ohio.
In December we begin to see the Christmas lights and decorations. We see many nativity scenes, some of which are equipped with live animals. Most of these decorations are in people backyards. We experience the overstocked and busy stores. We see Santa Klaus in department stores bidding children to sit on his lap and leave their Christmas wishes. We soon see gifts wrapped and placed under the tree.
All of these things remind us that Christmas time is here again. This is a season that special feelings cause heightened reactions. It is a season of cranky sales clerks, quick trips to the mall, a season in which we spend more than we have, and eat more than we need. But Christmas is much more than all of that. Christmas is not a time of celebration. It is the celebration of the birth of our Lord. Yes celebrating His birth.
Christmas seems to become more eloquent each year.
Christmas is much like many of the national holidays we celebrate. These holidays are also birthday celebrations of great men who developed our heritage into what it is today. In America we have the president’s day; in Kenya we have Mashujaa Day and so on. These holidays are named after the men we celebrate, or season and events that make us who we are. Christmas is also the birthday of a man who we should admire and give honor to for what He has done for us and given us. We also should be proud to claim what He so graciously has given us salvation.
As we celebrate Christmas, we must remember that Jesus Christ is the heart of Christmas. It is in His name that we gather together and celebrate. The apostle Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 4:5 it is about Jesus we preach, “For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.”
When we celebrate the birthday of a great man in history, we think about the kind of man He was. As we celebrate Christmas the question should also come to our mind is, what kind of Man was this whose birthday splits time into B.C. and A.D.?
Who was in the manger that Christmas morning? Some say he would become a great moral leader, others a social critic. Still others view Jesus a a profound philosopher, a Rabbi, a feminist, a prophet and more. Who was he really? How can you know for sure? My next article in this blog is the summary of Lee’ book. But the conclusion of Christmas the celebration of man is: Who was Jesus?
The most important question we can ask to determine what kind of man Jesus was is, What do you say about Him? This is the most important question because the answer will determine your eternal destiny. You only have two options. You can accept Him as who He says He is. You can say, “I believe Jesus is the most unique man who has ever lived, and I believe His uniqueness can be confirmed by the fact that He was God himself living among us.” Or, you can say, He was the biggest liar in history and His lies laid the foundation for history’s greatest mockery and foolishness.
Your answer to this most important question will determine whether or not you experience the true meaning of Christmas.