Over the years people have become accustomed to Christmas being a holiday, where Christmas is associated with the business of buying and selling, giving and receiving. This has caused many people to overlook and even miss Christmas’s vital meaning for this crazy mixed-up world we live in.
We sing the familiar Christmas hymns, but no longer understand the meaning behind them. We read the Christmas story but mistake it’s meaning from all the “made-for-TV” specials.
I think that people have mistaken Charles Dickens’, “A Christmas Carol,” for the real story of Christmas, and that’s because it gets a whole lot more airtime than the story of Jesus Christ coming down to this earth to be born in a manger.
The story of Christmas is quickly losing its meaning. We’re losing the very heart of why Christmas is even celebrated if we haven’t already. Today Christmas has become one long commercial holiday filled with fake joy and the wrong holiday spirits.
A pastor in California put a sign in front of his church that read, “Jesus is the reason for the season. Merry Christmas.” One passerby took offence at this sign and called the church in protest saying, “I don’t think that church should try to drag religion into every holiday.”
By the way, “holiday” is the shortened version of “holy day,” a day that should be set apart for Jesus, not for ourselves.
The heart and meaning of Christmas may best be found in the following verses.
“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14)
“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)
Don’t let the celebration of the world’s rendition of Christmas ruin Christmas’s real and true purpose.
Dennis Lee is the Senior Pastor of Living Waters Fellowship located at 211 West First South behind ACE Hardware.
This Sunday Morning at 10 a.m. pastor Dennis will be speaking on the Heart of Christmas while looking at the above verses from the prophet Isaiah and the three main attributes they both relay as to the heart of God during this most special holiday we know as Christmas.
You can also Watch on our YouTube channel “Mesquite NV Living Waters Fellowship”
As far as singing the familiar hymns but no longer understanding it’s meaning, I realize that is exactly what happens when we begin to allow the world’s commercialism of Christmas to overshadow our focus on Jesus Whom it is truly about. When we do that, the peace that Jesus brings through His coming to earth to bring salvation to mankind through His sacrifice gets squelched by the stress and busyness we give into of all the hustle and bustle of the holiday preparations. We need to stay focused on Jesus in order to bring that hope to others.
Thank you Debbie,
Whenever I think about our need to focus on Jesus the words of the song, “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus,” fills my mind and heart.
“Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face.
And the things of the Earth
will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace.”
Take care and God bless]
Dennis