“6 For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the greatness of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty
will accomplish this.” Isaiah 9.6-7
Today is Christmas Day. All the worldly hype—the frantic shopping sprees, the endless Christmas songs, the fleeting moments of Advent—now culminates in this single day: the day we celebrate the birth of Jesus.
I’ve celebrated fifty-six Christmases in my life, yet most have blurred together. I remember where I was, perhaps, but the gifts exchanged, the meals shared, the emotions of the moment—they’ve all vanished like dust swept away in a windstorm.
But what I do remember is that Jesus has been at the center of it all. Even before my conversion experience at the age of 17, I knew Jesus was the reason for our celebration. It was taught in church and in schools. And although I probably wasn’t as focused or devout as I should have been, I knew that Christmas was about Jesus (in spite of the new pair of Nike shoes I was hoping for!).
Christ is about so much more than our world reveals. Because Jesus is such a life-changing and polarizing figure, the world likes to hide Him away. Last night, I watched parts of two popular Christmas movies which never mentioned Jesus but were wildly entertaining and festive. Yet Jesus was conspicuously absent from both stories. In one, Elf, Christmas spirit is what saved the day. In the other, The Holiday, two new budding relationships saved the vacation.
But the deeper significance, the richer meaning, is that Jesus was born into this world—God in the flesh—to save us from our sins. He lived the perfect life we could never live, died the death we deserved, and rose victorious, defeating sin and death once for all. He became the sacrificial Lamb, offering Himself for everyone who believes.
Although today we celebrate His birth, we also bookend it with His death and subsequent resurrection. The perfect gift for Christmas isn’t that new car you saw on TV, or the fabulous outfit, or even those diamond studs—it is knowing God. For this is why Jesus ultimately arrived on earth: to redeem us so that we might know and love the living God.
So today, while the world goes mad with celebration, let us quietly rejoice in our hearts: God has given the world its greatest gift—Jesus Christ, our Savior.
“O Lord God, I receive You today as Lord and Savior. I accept You into my heart; I give You my life. I thank You for loving me that I might know Your faithfulness each and every day. Come now, Holy Spirit; hear my prayers, bless my family and my friends. Help me live a life surrendered to the Son. For You are good and Your love endures forever.” Amen.