The heart of Christmas is about the birth of Jesus who is Immanuel, God with us, the promised Messiah, who came to save His people from their sins. It may be the biggest and most popular of all holidays, but the focus should be on why you celebrate, not how you celebrate. With reverence about the birth of Jesus, Christmas should be a time of real joy and gladness. That baby in the manger is God and that's the heart and soul of the Christmas message. Christmas as a holiday was not observed until well after the biblical era. The early church of the New Testament celebrated Jesus' resurrection, but not His birth. In fact, Christmas was not given any official recognition by the church until the mid-fifth century. The Puritans in early America rejected Christmas celebrations altogether. They deliberately worked on December 25. Christians today are generally not opposed to celebrating Christmas. The holiday itself is nothing, and observing it is not a question of right or wrong. Paul wrote in Romans 14:5-6, "One man regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God." Every day is a Christmas celebration for us who know and love Jesus. Christmas is a time to give gifts to friends and
family. Christmas is undoubtedly a good time for giving. After all, we are celebrating the greatest gift ever given, God's Son. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:16). God's great Gift was first of all a gift of love to an unworthy world. He gave not because He had to, but because He loves us. Our giving should reflect God's love. If we can keep that perspective this can be one of the most blessed and enjoyable aspects of the holiday.
I would like you to ask yourself this year if your giving reflects the spirit of God who gave His best for us just because He loves us.
In Christ,
Pastor Peter Suhn
