14^th April 2012

Why Christmas? What's it all about? Preparations for the commercial Christmas demand early attention, hoping for bumper sales. The tourist Christmas also requires detailed planning of holiday offers, some at bargain rates to hook a response, though the financial crisis may well affect such responses this year.

The postal Christmas expects masses of Greeting cards and produces special stamps slightly cheaper. The humanitarian Christmas tugs our heartstrings and rightly so. Our suffering world and Relief Agencies need our generosity. The festive Christmas with glitter and sparkle, special food, family and friendship gatherings and sharing of presents brings special joys into normal daily living.

Notice however that all these celebrations are humanly oriented, whereas the first Christmas was God-oriented. Some spell it ‘Xmas', but in my schooldays algebra ‘X' was the unknown quantity. So is Christmas for many people.

Who stepped into history over 2,000 years ago and has impacted the whole world transforming personal lives, society and even nations?

The original Christmas event was God-planned, God-predicted, and God-fulfilled! Accurate research tells us that 332 specific prophecies made during previous centuries were fulfilled in the Babe of Bethlehem! Mathematicians tell us that the scientific probability of even 48 being fulfilled by one person is one in ten to the power of 157. Wow!

Babies are born every day around the world but this one was different. Many gifts are exchanged at Christmas but the Bethlehem one was God's special Love-Gift. The Bible declares ‘God so loved the world that He gave us his Son'. The heart of the message to the shepherds was ‘Good news of great joy for all people - a Saviour has been born to you, Christ the Lord'. It seems ungracious to ignore costly gifts from loved ones without saying say ‘Thank you'.

Some skilful TV ads often grab us. Sometimes the slogans and jingles stick in our minds, but we totally miss the actual message! We retain the extra associations, but lose the central point.

For some, Christmas customs and decorations are important - coloured lights, parties and presents, but are unaware that ‘Jesus is the reason for the season'. Without Christ there would be no Christ-mas. He is the heart of the message, the true celebration, not just a figure in the Supermarket nativity scenes.
Mere commercialism can leave us empty, and often having credit card debts. Knowing the Christ of Christmas can satisfy us for ever. The Bethlehem Inn had no room for Jesus in that world. So also today, many have no room for him in their lives.
His coming to planet earth was, and still is, revolutionary when really understood, and as relevant as today's newspaper. This God-Gift can change our lives from the inside out, bringing inner joy and peace. He fills that ‘God-shaped blank' in our lives.

Enjoy the Malls and the open-air carols, maybe in your local church too. Have a happy Christmas with family and friends, but please don't crowd out the one who made it all possible. One of his Bible names is ‘Immanuel' which literally means ‘God-with-us'. The Christmas manger is empty. Easter declares that Jesus Christ, beyond the Cross and Resurrection, is alive, and can be known and trusted with our lives. He is God-with-us, for ever!

Rev Perry Smith

This article was published in The Newcastle Herald in December 2009.
They headed it ‘Let's not forget why we celebrate Christmas'and urged readers to look beyond the Trimmings to the Message.
I invite you to do the same.