Recently, while driving around the city, I turned on the local gospel radio station, where they played Jingle Bells and a rendition of an Alvin & the Chipmunks Christmas song. Then, I found it refreshing to hear a song that I hadn’t heard in many years.
When the song began, it took me several moments to remember the name of the song let alone who sung it. However, I was able to guess the group before I remembered the song. The song was “The Real Meaning of Christmas is Christ.” The group was the Winans.
Over the past several years, I’ve had an uneasy feeling around Christmas. It’s a feeling that one has when one feels that something isn’t quite right. It feels like I’m going through the motions, but my heart is not in it.
Christmas is supposed to be a joyous occasion that you spend with your family and friends. You are supposed to enjoy giving gifts and watching as your family members open them.
It’s fun to watch the excitement of the kids opening and playing with the toys they received. Even though they are bored an hour later. It’s wonderful for your family members to open the gift you gave them, smile, tell you thank you, and then exchange it at the store the very next day. And isn’t it great when you exchange gifts with someone, and one of the gifts was more expensive than the other? Then, the person who gave the more expensive gift pretends that they love the less expensive gift.
The collimation of all these things left me feeling like Charlie Brown in A Charlie Brown Christmas when all of Charlie Brown’s friends ridiculed him for buying an ugly Christmas tree. Even Snoopy laughs at him, and a dog is supposed to be a man’s best friend.
Then, the frustrated Chuck says his famous line, “Isn’t there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?”
Yes, as Linus did, I can tell you what Christmas is all about. However, the Bible explains it much better than I ever could.
Luke 1:26-38 (KJV)
Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; [e]blessed are you among women!”
But [f]when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”
Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I [g]do not know a man?”
And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible.”
Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
Isaiah 9:6 (KJV)
For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Luke 2:1-20 (KJV)
And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.
Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed [a]wife, who was with child. So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a [b]manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And [c]behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a [d]manger.”
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
“Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill[e] toward men!”
So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. Now when they had seen Him, they made [f]widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.
The real meaning of Christmas is GOD the Father, sending HIS only begotten Son to be born, show and tell (The Gospel), and die for the sins of humanity. By the sacrifice of Jesus, He is not the only begotten Son of GOD, Jesus is the first begotten Son of many children of GOD.
Giving gifts, especially to the needy, is fine. However, let’s start giving people the greatest gift for Christmas, Jesus. GOD has placed this gift in our hands, so why don’t we share it? Then, we will know that the real meaning of Christmas is Christ.
G. Edward Wyche