What Makes Christmas So Special?

When I was growing up, I always wondered why Christmas was so special. I remember helping put up the Christmas tree, and then wondering when the presents would appear. But it wasn’t the presents because, after a few weeks the trucks or cars or what ever the presents were the newness wore off and then the toy would sit in the corner and collect dust.

It wasn’t the Charlie Brown Christmas specials, even though I still like to watch them today. I must admit that familiar tune that played when the show starts and continues through the entire show still rings in my head along with my tinnitus. Most of those old shows like White Christmas and the Andy William’s Christmas special have been replaced with upbeat new shows.

Things have changed over time. The world has turned into a commercial money making machine. The merchandise machine seems to have taken over. We now see Christmas decorations and all the trimming in the store several weeks before Halloween. Christmas has changed to the point of what am I going to get and there is little thought of what we should be giving. We have replaced the old saying, “It is better to give than receive.” So many people look to Christmas as what they can get. To throw a general blanket over this, a good number of people think the ringing of the cash register is the new music for the holidays.

Let me change direction a bit and not sound so gloomy, Christmas should be a glorious time of year. Let me tell you why. (Four words) that should change your life and your outlook on Christmas forever. John 1:14 “The Word became flesh.” This is what Christmas is about. The “Word,” meaning Jesus Christ exchanged His heavenly home and wrapped Himself in human flesh to become like us to transform the ones that would believe and accept Him as their Lord and Savior. The rest of John 1:14 “and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” If we stop and think for a bit, these four words never change. They are never replaced by any other words. Because you see, The Word, who is Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savor, never changes. He is immutable. That is one of his attributes. If He changed then He would be like us and there would be no God and no Christmas.

Let’s go back to the beginning of the chapter of the Gospel of John.

John 1:1-5 New American Standard Bible 1995

The Deity of Jesus Christ,

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. 5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

When we read these five verses carefully we see and understand who Jesus really is. He is the Word of God, He is the Son of God, and He is God. Jesus is also a separate person from God the Father, but He is of the same essence. When reading verse three, we see and understand that all things created in the universe were made by Him (the Word). Verse four tells us that He is the life that is in each person. (Now that is a Christmas gift).

When we look at verse 14 we now understand when it says “the Word Became Flesh.” That is who was born over two thousand plus years ago, the Savior of the world. “He came so that to seek and save the lost.” Luke 19:10. He came to die so that He could save you from your sins and the wrath of God.

Let me give you one more verse to think about this Christmas season. The verse is John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” The Christmas gift is the whoever believes receives salvation. Not all people will believe and just because you don’t believe doesn’t mean this did not happen.

My friends, this is what makes Christmas so special. The Word became flesh should be the greatest Christmas present that was ever given to you. When you truly believe and repent of your sins then you will find the true meaning of Christmas, and that is the reality of the absolute truth.

Merry Christmas Everyone.

David P Cole

CRE Encampment Presbyterian Church