How Would Jesus Celebrate Christmas?
Most years I tend to lose sight of Jesus somewhere between the deals of Black Friday and the dawn of a new year. Of course I understand that Jesus is the real reason for the season, but the frantic pace I usually set to celebrate Christmas isn't very conducive to focusing on Him. Between Santa and jingle bells, Christmas parties, and presents to buy and hope for, I think most of us struggle to keep our attention focused on the baby in the miracle we're supposed to be celebrating.
As I fight to carve out the time to consider the sacred, I keep wondering how Jesus would celebrate His birth.
It's true that Christmas is a holiday created by the church long after
Jesus ascended into heaven. He never had the chance to partake in
Christmas as we know it. Even so, Christ's example is always a lead we
should follow.
If Jesus were still walking the earth, what would He be doing this Christmas? Here's my best guess.
Jesus Would Celebrate Christmas
There are many places throughout the Gospels that record Jesus
participating in the holidays of His culture. He ate holiday feasts with
His family and friends (Matt. 26:18–19). John 7 shows Him attending church with His brothers during the Festival of the Tabernacle.
Jesus wasn't a stick-His-head-in-the-sand kind of guy. He didn't
sequester himself away from His culture. While there are plenty of
elements of our traditional Christmas celebrations that don't focus on
Him, I doubt Jesus would ask us to ditch the entire celebration based on
principle. (That's throwing the miracle baby out with the bath
water.) I believe He would join us at our church Christmas pageants and
family dinners and would accept an invitation to step into our decorated
homes.
Jesus Wouldn't Focus on Presents
Jesus wasn't into stuff.
In Matthew 6:19, He said, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal."
In Luke 12:15,
He said, "Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for
one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."
Jesus never said possessions are bad. I don't see any evidence in
Scripture that He would say giving each other gifts is wrong. But He did
warn us that our stuff isn't as important as we think it is. This
anti-materialism message is certainly worth revisiting at Christmastime.
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