Motivational speaker and author Leo Buscaglia (1924-1998) never forgot the day his father came home from work and announced to the family that his partner had absconded with the firm’s money. There was no other option. He was going to have to declare bankruptcy. The family was devastated. However, his mother didn’t just react to the news, she responded. The next day she went out and sold some of her jewelry and bought food for a sumptuous feast. Other members of the family scolded her for it. But she told them that “the time for joy is now, when we need it most, not next week.” I believe she was right. Now is a time to celebrate.
The year 2024 is almost over! How will you remember this year? For many it has been an extremely difficult year. How many people do you know have lost a loved one this year? Your life is not the same without them. How many people do you know have struggled medically? They are still recovering from surgery. They are still battling some kind of disease. How many people do you know struggled with depression? You know God has been good to you, but you have a hard time getting out of bed. How many people do you know struggle with anxiety? It is the price we pay for living a fast-paced life. How many people do you know struggled economically this year. Everything seems so expensive. How many people do you know ended a mistaken relationship this year? Could it be you are afraid of 2025, because you don’t know what the future holds. Leo Buscaglia’s mother was right! The time for joy is now. Now is the time to celebrate. There is not a second to waste!
That is what makes Christmas so wonderful. Christmas is a time of joy. Christmas is a time to celebrate! Don’t shortchange yourself. Christmas is not just a time to visit with family and friends. Christmas is not just a time to buy presents and send cards. Christmas is not just a time to go to parties. Christmas is a time to celebrate God’s great love for the world. You really can’t celebrate Christmas until you embrace the Good News. God left the perfection of heaven and entered our imperfect world in human form to experience the human condition. Jesus was the incarnation of God, Himself. The birth of Jesus change everything. Do I have to say it? Christmas is worth celebrating!
In this blog, I want to examine three points of basic Christian theology that are worth celebrating. These points are not original. They come from Rick Warren (born 1954) of the Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California. Each one blossomed when Jesus was born. They are part of the spiritual side of Christmas. They are what makes Christmas worth celebrating! If you truly embrace each point, it will change the way that you experience Christmas.
First, at Christmas we celebrate God’s love for us! John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him may not perish but have eternal life.” 1 John 4:8 says, “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” As a matter of fact, love is the very nature of God. It is impossible for us to fully understand God’s love for us. It is like an ant trying to understand the internet. Love is the very nature of God. Never forget, God loves you!
There is an old preaching story about a medieval monk, who announced he would be preaching the next Sunday evening on “The Love of God.” When that evening came the congregation gathered as shadows fell and the light ceased to come in through the cathedral windows. In the darkness of the altar, the monk lit a candle and carried it to the crucifix. First, he illuminated the crown of thorns, next, the two wounded hands, then the marks of the spear wound. In the hush that fell, he blew out the candle and left the chancel. There was nothing else to say. The baby in the manger and the man on the cross cannot be separated. When we stop and consider the pain of the cross. How can you question God’s love for us? Never forget! God loves you!
Second, at Christmas we celebrate the fact that God is with you! God is omnipresent. In other words, God is everywhere. Consider these two pieces of scripture with me. Psalm 139:7-10 says, “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.” Hebrews 13:5 says, “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’” Emmanuel is one of the names for Jesus in the Bible. Emmanuel means “God with us.” The Good News is you don’t have to face any situation alone because God is always with you. Many try to ignore God, but He is always present. Never forget, God is with you!
Third, at Christmas we celebrate the fact that God is for us! In other words, he wants us to enjoy our time in this world. He wants you to live with meaning and purpose. The problem is our world is broken. Consider these two verses with me. John 3:17 says, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” Romans 8:31 says, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” In other words, God is for you!
I love the story of the man who decided to join a monastery and one of the rules of the group was that you were only allowed to speak two words every ten years. At the end of ten years he said, “Bad food!” Ten more years passed, and he said, “Hard bed!” Finally, on his 30th anniversary with the brothers, he thundered, “I quit!” And the priest in charge responded, “You might as well. All you do is complain anyway.” That is not the story of God. With all the grumbling and mumbling we do about the hardships in life, God doesn’t grow tired of us. God wants you to be happy and successful in your life. Never forget, God is for you!
Christmas is a time for joy and a time to celebrate. God took human form and became one of us! It has been written, “If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent us an educator; If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist; If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist; If our greatest need had been pleasure, God would have sent us an entertainer; But our greatest need was forgiveness, so God sent us a Savior.” Those words still hold true. Christmas is a time for joy is now. Christmas is a time to celebrate.
Russ Adams 