The story of Christmas...and beyond

Why is the story of the birth of Jesus Christ so powerful? Babies are born every day. Some are even born into very prominent positions. Just this past year we saw the birth of a new prince of England, and the world watched and waited for him to be born. We all like to celebrate a birth, so the birth of Jesus certainly resonates on that level.

Yet there is something much deeper about the narratives of Jesus' birth that move us. Even many non-believers find the story to be inspirational, and try to find some meaning in the story. A poor traveling couple, forced on their journey by an indifferent government, sheltering in a stable, visited by both the rugged shepherds and the refined magi- all these pieces are used by various people and groups to try to fit this story into their agenda for "peace on earth."

If this story was just the story of a baby being born, even one who was the Son of God, perhaps it could be used in this way. So many of the attempts to wrest meaning from this story fail, however, because they overlook the main message these narratives convey. There is much more to the birth of Jesus than the events that surrounded His birth.

Let's look at just a few of the elements the Biblical authors give us. Joseph was told to name the baby "Jesus," which means "Yahweh saves."  Mary in her Magnificat speaks of the baby to be born as her "Savior." The angel tells the shepherds that a Savior has been born for them. The Magi come to the baby's house and worship Him as King, even though they have called Him "the King of the Jews."

The impact of Jesus' birth lies in the fact that a Savior came to earth on that day. The story is one of salvation. If all we ever do is look at a baby in a manger, we miss the significance of the story. Jesus came to save us from sin and death. He came not to live an exemplary life (though He did), nor to expound great teaching (which He also did), but to die a sacrificial death for you and me.

Jesus came to earth to save us, even though we didn't deserve His grace and love. He came to give Himself for us, the selfish and self-centered. He came to bridge the gap between God and us, even when we didn't care about that gap. His birth was just the first step in a life that would lead Him to a brutal cross on behalf of a humanity that needed to be reconciled to God and couldn't do it on our own.

As you celebrate the Christmas season, don't lose sight of the fact that the story of Jesus' time on earth only begins with His birth. It's not the whole story, and you can't somehow make it mean something it isn't intended to be. Jesus was born to make a way for you and me to be made children of God, and through faith in Him we can be assured of a place with Him for all eternity. Let that message be the one that comforts you in this Christmas season.

Busy being distracted

As a leader in my church, I am always warning people about the danger of getting distracted by the busyness that surrounds Christmas. There is so much to do, and such a compressed time frame (especially this year!) that it's easy to get pulled away from what's important by what is urgently in front of us.

Alas, I find that I am guilty of this myself. Between activities at church and my "concert season" at school, I find I am always trying just to keep up with what's coming next, and trying not to get overwhelmed by looking at what's still ahead. I thought I left this behind when I left the retail world, but, if anything, my life is actually busier during the Advent season than it was then.

What I have scheduled to do are all good things. We have a number of community outreaches at Christmastime, my students at school really love their chance to perform at the concerts, and preparation for performances is in itself something good and important. But when looking forward to Christmas as a day of rest from all that is hectic becomes a real temptation, I know I've lost some perspective.

I don't need to completely clear my calendar. What I do need is to remember why I'm doing all of this. If I lose sight of the fact that Christmas is about Christ (no matter what the atheist billboard in NYC says), then I've lost the reason for doing pretty much everything on my list that's not required by my job. Why worry about singing about the glory of Jesus Christ if I forget that He's the reason I sing? Why help plan a church outreach if the Gospel story isn't impacting my own life so I want to share it with others? My activity becomes meaningless to me personally if I don't connect it to my Lord and Savior.

Now, I can certainly go through the motions, lose sight of the Lord, and still have my efforts make an impact by the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit. My own attitude doesn't thwart God's plans. But it means so much more if I am drawing closer in my own connection to Christ while I encourage others to do the same. God wants me to help share the good news with others, but He also wants me to let that good news change me.

So here's my usual warning: don't let the busyness of the season pull you away from time to meditate on the One who is the reason we celebrate. I promise you I'll take my own advice, too. Let's commit to honoring Christ first in all we do this Advent and Christmas season.