Christmas Is More Than You Think

There are lots of things we know about Christmas, but Christmas is more than we think. Aside from the wonderful feeling of love, joy, and happiness many feel, Christmas can also be a difficult time of loss and great sadness. I have a friend who never celebrated Christmas until about twelve years ago when she got married. Prior to her marriage, Christmas always reminded her of the loss of her mother. She was only about ten years old when she lost her mother to illness many Christmases ago. Her entire life was defined by this loss. She was forced to live with an uncle who treated her more or less like a servant. The beautiful life she imagined she would live, surrounded by her loving family was turned into a nightmare. This continued throughout her adult life until she was in her late forties and eventually got married after waiting for a long time. Now happily married with a son who is about eleven, I asked her recently about Christmas and it was clear that a significant change has occurred. Christmas for her has now turned from a sad memory to a joyous reality. Not just because she is married and has a son, but more because she met the Christ of Christ-mas. 

As the first Christmas drew near, Joseph, completely oblivious to divine timings, was preparing for a wedding. He was engaged to be married to the love of his life. All of a sudden he finds out she was pregnant. His dream shattered, his world came crashing down. Mary, his beloved had cheated on him and now marriage is no longer an option he was willing to consider. He decided "to divorce her quietly"  (Matt. 1:19). It was at this point that an angel of the Lord visited him. He was brought up to date with the divine master plan. Mary didn't cheat on him. In actual fact, she is pregnant "through the Holy Spirit" and she carried in her womb the Saviour of the world. For Joseph, what was a shattered dream became a wonderful privilege. He would help nurture to maturity the boy King who will also share his family name. Christmas is about turning shattered dreams into blessed realities. It's about changing people's lives and destinies, from what they imagined to what they could never fathom. Those who come into a loving relationship with the Christ of Christ-mas end up getting more than they deserve. They get more than they could ever earn - ETERNAL LIFE!

Christmas is the fulfillment of God's promise. When Adam and Eve fell out of favour with God in the garden of Eden due to their sin, God promised to save mankind. The birth of Jesus is the fulfillment of that promise. Emmanuel means God with us. Christmas is about inviting Jesus to be with you. No one can successfully navigate the rough terrians of this life alone. The birth of Jesus gives humanity a real and living hope. Though things are tough, though we face ups and downs in this world, a loving relationship with Jesus provides a constant solace and a firm promise of His ever abiding presence. That's what gives those in a loving relationship with Jesus hope. Their hope is not in material things or in the solutions the government can offer (though this is welcomed), their hope is in the Christ of Christ-mas.

At the first Christmas, the shepherds who saw an angel and "a great company of heavenly host" (Luke 2:13) were told that the birth of Jesus is "good news that will cause great joy for all the people". Since then, God's intention has not changed. Jesus is not just for the Jews or those who are Christians right now. Jesus is good news for all the people. The shepherds who had no relationship whatsoever with Christ before then, decided to check out the validity of what they were told. They followed the instructions of the angels and found Jesus "wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger", just as the angels said. The shepherds spread the word about the Christ of Christ-mas and many got to share in this amazing news of hope and joy in the midst of hopelessness and deep sadness. Their lives changed forever, the shepherds went away "glorying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen". (Luke 2:20). Christmas is about sharing the good news about Christ. We as Christians must tell others about the things we have seen and heard since we entered into a covenant relationship with Christ. Let's tell others of the lives transformed, the demon possessed set free, the healing from cancer and remarkable salvation. 

This Christmas, we must do more than spare a thought for those who are sad, lonely and left with a feeling of hopelessness and misery. Like the shepherds, we must act. We must seek and reach out for those in our community who need to know the message of Christmas. With the cold weather biting hard, and the cost of living becoming prohibitive for many in our community, we must think of ways to lend a helping hand. That's why on Christmas Day, we will be hosting a Christmas celebration and providing a three course meal for people in our community from 12:15pm to 2pm. We hope to spread the joy of Christmas to as many as would love to share in this joy with us. More than that, we are praying and hoping they will come to know and love Jesus like we do. Because we know that the joy of Christmas Day will only be momentary, unless people come into a loving relationship with the Christ of Christ-mas. 

Don't settled for the momentary joy one calendar day of the year can provide. Christmas is more than one day's celebration. It is a life long relationship with Christ. Christmas is about Him. It is about what He has done for you. So in a sense, Christmas is also about you. But not just you without Him, it is about you in relationship with Him. So when I say have a happy Christmas, I mean take full and lasting advantage of what Christmas means. As you can see, Christmas really is more than you think!