Joy To The World!

“But the angel said to them, ‘Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: Today a Savior, who is Messiah the Lord, was born for you in the city of David.’” – Luke 2:10-11

Every year our family, like many families, put up our Christmas decorations. Each year I hold firmly to waiting until the day after Thanksgiving to put up our decorations and they must be brought down no later than New Year’s Eve. My wife loves the decorations and once the Hallmark movies start playing, she’s ready to put them up. I believe I actually gave in to putting them up before Thanksgiving one year. Needless to say, every year we put them up but I noticed something this year I have never noticed before.

This year God called us to new ministry at Union Hall Baptist Church and so this is also our first Christmas in the church’s parsonage. Our decorations worked out where the Christmas tree and the nativity scene are close together. They are almost side by side. I noticed something this year that I had never noticed before until I really saw them side by side.

What did I notice? I noticed that we pay too much attention to what might go under the tree and not enough attention to who is already in the manger. Now this isn’t a new thought and to many, this is not a grand revelation. Even for me, I may say something to this effect every year but seeing the Christmas tree and the nativity scene side by side made a huge difference for me.

Why has it made such a difference to me? I remember my grandmother telling me stories about how they received fruit as Christmas presents when they were kids and you know what? They were thankful for the fruit they received! Try giving fruit as a present to kids today. I dare you. I imagine you know what their reaction would be. If we are honest, our reaction would not be much better if any better at all. We have focused too much on the empty tree and not enough on the full manger!

Christmas is a time I have always wanted to enjoy more. There always seems to be a lot of stress at Christmas. Those Christmas movies that my wife loves are depressing to me because I can not live up to those movies. Some years I truly wonder if I will be able to buy my children anything for Christmas. Most years I just feel like I can not make anyone happy at Christmas time. I joked with someone the other day. They asked me what my favorite Christmas song was and I responded “Auld Lang Syne”. In case you don’t know, that is the song we sing for New Year’s. In other words, I was saying I would be glad when Christmas was over.

This Christmas is different. Yes, I still deal with all the emotions and stress related things that I mentioned but this Christmas I have chosen to focus on the full manger. I have chosen to rejoice in the fact that God loved us so much, even a sinner such as I, that He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to this Earth. He sent Him to live a sinless life and to die a death that was meant for me. He carried my sins and the sins of all humanity to the cross and paid the penalty for those sins. However, that was not the end! Three days later, God raised Jesus Christ from the dead! The Bible tells us that anyone who believes this will be saved from their sins and spend eternity in Heaven!

I have given my life to Jesus! I am saved and will spend eternity in Heaven with Him! Will you? This Christmas, quit focusing on the empty tree and focus on the cradle that was filled by the only hope in the world, Jesus Christ! Give your life to Him today!

This Christmas, more than ever, I can rejoice and say “Joy to the World! The Lord is come!”