Every year, the Christmas lights go up and the same Christmas movies come back on. Traditions like these can be a lot of fun. But maybe you've wondered what it's all for. What is the true meaning of Christmas, and why do we celebrate it?
Christmas was never meant to be just a set of traditions. At its heart, Christmas is a message, and that message is meant to change your life. The problem is that many people celebrate Christmas year after year without ever being changed by it.
Last December at Arroyo, I preached from Luke 2 on how Christmas changes everything. The message starts with this truth: Christmas is meant to change every single area of your life.
Christmas is good news, not good advice.
On the night Jesus was born, some shepherds were out in the fields near Bethlehem, watching their sheep. Then an angel appeared, the glory of the Lord shone all around them, and they were terrified (Luke 2:8-9). Here is what the angel told them:
"Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord." (Luke 2:10-11, NIV)
Notice the words "good news." News is not something you do. It is something that has already been done.
Think about it like this. If a news headline pops up on your phone, it isn't telling you to do something. It's telling you about something that already happened. The angel brought the shepherds a headline like that.
A lot of people think Christianity is mostly good advice. Try harder and be a better person, and if you do it well enough, maybe God will accept you. But none of us can do it well enough. Every one of us has sinned and fallen short of God's glory (Romans 3:23).
The good news is the exact opposite. Jesus never sinned, not even once. Because He loves you, He gave His life on the cross for your sins, and three days later He rose again. You cannot earn that. You can only respond to it by faith.
That is why we celebrate Christmas. The road to the cross started at the manger. If Jesus had not been born, He would not have died. And if He had not died, you could not live.
The joy of Christmas is bigger than your fears.
The shepherds were terrified for a reason. They were face to face with something far more powerful than themselves, and they could not control it.
Maybe you know that feeling. Maybe there is a situation in your life right now that is bigger than you and out of your control. The first words the shepherds heard that night were "Do not be afraid." God wants you to know that you do not have to live in fear. He wants you to live in joy.
The angel promised "great joy." The world offers a happiness based on the happenings of life. When the sun is shining and everyone is nice to you, you feel happy. When those things change, your happiness goes with them.
The joy of Christmas is different. It is not based on happenings, because it is based on something that has already happened. Jesus has already come. He has already died for your sins and risen again, and no bad day can change that.
The angel also said this joy is "for all the people." That includes you! But not everyone experiences it. It is like a present that has been wrapped up and handed to you. It's yours, but you still have to open it.
You open it by faith, which simply means trusting Jesus and what He has done for you. If you've never done that, you can learn how to become a Christian here.
Here is what you find inside when you open it. Your past is forgiven. God is your Father, and you can rely on Him today. And your future is secure, with a hope in heaven. If you believe those three things, how could you not have great joy?
Christmas means you can have peace with God.
Then a whole crowd of angels joined the first one, and they praised God with these words (Luke 2:13):
"Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests." (Luke 2:14, NIV)
When people think of peace at Christmas, they might picture a quiet night by the fire. But the angels were talking about something much bigger. They were talking about peace with God.
Our sin separates us from God. But notice who this peace is for: "those on whom his favor rests." God's favor is not a prize for people who have earned it, because none of us could. It rests on those who receive it by faith in Jesus.
When you put your trust in Jesus, you are forgiven, and you never have to be afraid of God rejecting you. He will not take His forgiveness back. When God forgives you, it is final!
Because of Jesus, you can know exactly where you stand with God.
Jesus came in humility to show you how to treat people.
Now look at the manger. Luke tells us that Mary "wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them" (Luke 2:7, NIV).
A manger is where animals eat. The nativity scenes in front yards can make it look sweet and cozy. But it wasn't clean, and it wasn't a palace. The baby lying there was the Creator, entering His own creation. Yet He wasn't born into a rich or important family. He was born into a poor one.
Jesus came wrapped in cloths, but He was also wrapped in humility. Why? Because His whole life would be about humility, all the way to the cross. There He humbled Himself to the point of death for you (Philippians 2:8).
Jesus came in humility not just to save you from your sins, but to show you how to love the people in your life. In a letter to one of the first churches, the apostle Paul tells followers of Jesus to put others first, "not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others" (Philippians 2:4, NIV). And Paul says Jesus "made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant" (Philippians 2:7, NIV).
Jesus chose to humble Himself, and you get to make the same choice. You can either humble yourself, or life will do it for you. True humility means serving people according to their needs, not your own.
Let me put it this way. Have you ever opened a Christmas gift and known right away that you were going to return it? Most of the time, the person meant well. They just gave you what they would want, not what you would want.
So pay attention to what the people around you actually need. It is really hard to stay angry at someone who serves you that way. Maybe there is a relative who gets on your nerves every Christmas. Try serving them this year, and God is going to bless it.
Do not wait to let Christmas change you.
When the angels left, the shepherds "hurried off" to find Jesus (Luke 2:16, NIV). They had heard the news, and they could not wait. Good news is not meant to be stored away. It is meant to be shared.
If you are near Livermore, you are invited to hear the good news of Christmas with us this year. Here are the details for our Christmas Eve service.
So here is my question for you: has the message of Christmas changed you? That doesn't mean you're perfect or have your whole life figured out. It means the good news has made a real change in your heart. If that hasn't happened yet, it can happen today.
The message of Christmas never changes, but the message of Christmas is meant to change you.
Today, you can receive the good news of Christmas and let it change the way you love the people around you.
Daily Practice: Choose one person you will see this week, like your spouse, a parent, a roommate, or a coworker. Ask them, "How can I serve you?" Then listen, and serve them the way they need, not the way you would want.