Christmas season is upon us. Our days and sometimes nights are filled with seemingly constant activity. Especially during this time of year it is easy to become so busy that you miss the reason we celebrate Christmas in the first place. Christmas is not about doing just one more thing. Filling every waking moment with activity. It’s not about plans, lists and working hard to check every box. It’s not about out-doing or even keeping up with others. It’s not about shopping, baking or attending this or that event. It’s not about expectations and trying to ensure everyone’s are met. It’s not about going to parties and spending way too much time trying to find the perfect picture to post on social media to prove just how much fun you and yours had. 

Christmas is none of those things. Don’t get me wrong here, none of those things are bad unless they become the reason. The reason for Christmas is Jesus. It’s about a God many of us have always known about. A story that is almost too good to be true, one that rivals the best Disney movie out there. A story that happened a long long time ago, yet it still talked about, taught, and celebrated all over the world today. It’s about a God with love so pure and deep that He willingly gave up heaven and the perfection of it to come to a place called earth. Coming as a baby no less, totally dependent on the care of His earthly parents. Enduring childhood, knowing He wasn’t like His brothers and sisters. Moving on to the awkward pre-teen, teen years where nothing makes sense. More than likely trying to figure out others didn’t care about God and people in the same way He did. Being obedient to His earthly parents, as well as to His heavenly Father. He had to have heard the stories, maybe even the whispers of speculation about His birth. Was it discussed at family dinners? How often was the wise men’s visit talked about? How much did His family really understand and believe? 

The truth is, we don’t know much about Jesus’ life between His birth and the beginning of His earthly ministry. I wonder if that is one of the reasons we rarely discuss or think about it? But if we stop and consider Jesus always knew He was God’s Son. That means it was His choice day after day, year after year to endure humanness. Why? Because He knew it was the only way. 

During the Christmas season we rightfully focus on His birth and the prophecies leading up to it. But for me it’s hard to think about His birth without also thinking about His death. After all, Jesus was born for the purpose of dying. All those years, Mary was raising her Son, she was also preparing a sacrifice, the perfect sacrifice. Honestly it’s hard to think about, let alone accept. It’s no wonder we separate the two events. But without the cross, the birth is nothing more than a feel good story. Kind of like those cheesy Hallmark movies we all secretly love to watch. And why do we watch these predictable Christmas movies? We know they will make us feel good! They all have a happy ending and give us hope in love and the goodness of others. Okay, I know this is a stretch and I hope I don’t offend anyone by comparing the Gospel with a Hallmark movie, but hang with me here and let me explain. 

Just like in the movies, the main characters are traveling somewhere for some reason. So were the main characters in the Gospel story. Mary and Joseph made an unexpected trip late in her pregnancy due the census. It wasn’t yet Christmas then, but I can’t imagine either of them wanted to travel by donkey no less, with Mary that close to delivering her baby. Then you have the problem that lands you in a quaint small town, that celebrates Christmas like no other place on earth. In Jesus’ story, the small town is Bethlehem where it turns out Christmas began and was celebrated like no other, complete with angels singing! The hardship is that they can’t find a room to stay in and deliver the baby. Instead they wind up in a dusty, dirty and smelly barn. It would be really easy to get off track here and talk about how we don’t represent this accurately in our nativity scenes, but I’ll resist! Next in our movies comes the unexpected meeting and instant connection and love between our main characters. Jesus was the unexpected love, who instantly connected with everyone around Him (the shepherds) and even those far off (the wise men).

Enter the plot twist! It always happens, in every single Hallmark movie I have ever watched. There is some misunderstanding that threatens to destroy this new found love and hope. My family likes to bet on what the said misunderstanding will be early in the movie. And let’s be honest, it’s usually not that hard to figure out. I mean seriously, they are sooooo predictable! This is where our Gospel story has a different type of plot twist. We have to wait 30 plus years for it, but it still comes in the form of a cross, which threatens to destroy the hope and salvation of a nation. In the movies, love always prevails, lives are supposedly changed for the better and we are left with the illusion that everyone lives happily ever after. This is where the Gospel totally blows away the movies. For one, Jesus is real! He is not some made up feel good story. And love did and does prevail and lives are changed forever! Yes, Jesus did die, but He also rose again and lives today! This Christmas gift is priceless and never ending. 

To circle back around to the beginning, my Christmas prayer is that you learn from my mistakes. For years I have dreaded the Christmas season, my friends and family call me the Grinch. A title I have proudly worn! But here is the deal- for too long I have let the things, expectations, and lists ruin my Christmas season. This year, I am working hard to set boundaries and let go of some of the busyness and drama for the sake of my Savior. My prayer for this season is that we will all be confronted with and caught up in the awe of our Savior’s birth, life and love! 

Merry Christmas!