His Word For You
Christmas: Reconciliation through Christ
“Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” Matthew 7:9-11
Our Heavenly Father is a giver of good and perfect gifts (James 1:17). In fact, there isn’t a day or even a moment that goes by when His children don’t experience these gifts with abundance and grace. In an effort to emulate our Heavenly Father (albeit through our fallen position), we too give gifts…at Christmas time especially. Anytime we can show generosity, care, and love for one another, getting our attention and focus off ourselves, I think we’re headed in a right direction. My problem with the Christmas season, as it is experienced in our culture, is that it has been so secularized, commercialized, cauterized, and sanitized of anything that has to do with the real and Biblical Christmas message! The Nativity scene is constantly being presented in a palatable, non-threatening, non-confrontive manner. We live in a day and age when it has become offensive in many circles to even say “Merry Christmas,” so the neutralized “Happy Holidays” is now its replacement. Has Christmas really become that offensive or is this just political correctness run amok? Well, to be fair and Biblical, the answer is “yes.” The true Christmas message is offensive…when taken in its rightful context (1st Cor. 1:18). You see, God didn’t condescend to just hang out with His people and create a beautiful scene of glorified meaninglessness on the hills outside of Bethlehem. He came for a reason and that reason has everything to do with His Holiness, our sinful depravity, and the vast chasm that was created between the two of them by our rebelliousness and disobedience. Therefore, the Baby born in Bethlehem should never be considered apart from the bloodied Savior on the cross. When considered in its proper context, the Nativity scene is extremely offensive to mankind because it testifies to our position as an enemy of God and also to our nature as being corrupted and depraved. Bottom line…we are separated from God, dead in our trespasses and sins, and unable to do anything about it ourselves. The Nativity scene is screaming out for a response!
The birth of Jesus is largely irrelevant to us without the life, death, and resurrection that followed. Sound blasphemous? Not at all. Listen to what the Apostle Paul says through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit…”For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead…” 1 Cor 15:16-20. Here we see the real meaning of Christmas in context, and it has everything to do with our sin, our guilt, and the Hope that has been given to us for the forgiveness of these sins through reconciliation with God. Christ lived the perfect life on our behalf and died a perfect atoning death for His own. “Hark, the herald angels sing, ‘Glory to the new born King! Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled.'”
-Pastor Craig