Scripture Reading: Luke 2:10-11, "And the angel said to them, 'Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.'"
Introduction: The Distraction of December
Brothers and sisters, every year, the calendar turns to December, and a strange thing happens. Our world, for a brief time, is flooded with light, sound, and a spirit of frantic activity. We call this time Christmas. But if we are honest, for many, Christmas is no longer a spiritual celebration; it has become an endurance test.
We are so focused on things which are not spiritual that we often miss the very essence of the Christ Child. We rush to the stores, we chase sales, we wrap paper, we bake cookies, we attend parties, and we try desperately to fit a sense of peace into a schedule designed for stress.
The people have changed. The celebration has changed. It used to be a quiet contemplation of God becoming man—the ultimate act of humility and love. Now, it has become a measure of our capacity for consumerism. We have substituted the awe of the Manger for the anxiety of the mall.
Today, let us look at the biblical ways of celebrating Christmas, not to condemn the cheer, but to redeem the heart of the season. How do we shift our focus back to the Savior, Christ the Lord?
The Bible shows us three vital spiritual responses.
1. Awe and Humility (The Response of the Shepherds)
The first spiritual response is awe, mixed with profound humility.
Who were the first evangelized? Not the high priests, not Caesar, but a group of humble, uncultured, and often overlooked shepherds. When the angels appeared, they did not debate theology; they were terrified, and then they were filled with immediate, unadulterate wonder.
The biblical way to celebrate Christmas is to first be stunned by the truth: The Almighty God, who spoke the cosmos into existence, shrunk himself down to the size of a helpless baby, wrapped in cloths and placed in an animal’s feeding trough. This is the ultimate act of self-giving humility.
The challenge to us today is this: When was the last time you were truly awe-struck by the Nativity? Not by the beautiful lights on the tree, but by the cosmic paradox in the stable. We must clear the clutter of commercialism and return to the simple, humbling scene. Christmas is a call to recognize our need for a Savior, and to respond not with a credit card, but with a bowed heart.
2. Worship and Offering (The Response of the Magi)
The second spiritual response is worship, expressed through the giving of our very best.
While the shepherds represent humility, the Magi represent intentional, costly worship. They traveled a great distance, overcame significant hardship, and when they found the child, they did not just offer a prayer; they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. These gifts were valuable, symbolic, and likely helped fund the Holy Family's escape to Egypt.
We, too, are focused on gifts, but our modern focus is on receiving or on gifts of things. The Magi’s focus was on giving to the King. The spiritual celebration of Christmas asks us: What are we offering to the Christ Child?
The true gifts of Christmas are not wrapped in paper. They are the gifts of our time (time spent serving others, not just shopping); our talents (using our abilities for His Kingdom, not just our careers); and our heart (the gold of our purity, the frankincense of our prayers, and the myrrh of our willingness to die to self). The biblical way to celebrate is to make your life an offering of worship to the newborn King.
3. Proclamation and Joy (The Response of the Angels and Shepherds)
The third and final spiritual response is proclamation, overflowing with great joy.
The angels declared the good news. The shepherds, after seeing the baby, “made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child” (Luke 2:17). They didn't keep the joy to themselves; they immediately became the world's first Christmas preachers.
If Christ truly is the Savior, if He is the "good news of great joy," then our celebration cannot be contained within the walls of our homes. Our celebration must become a testimony.
The modern focus is often on self-care, on taking a break, on fulfilling our own desires. The spiritual focus is on sharing the incomparable gift of salvation. This season should be characterized by an unstoppable, Spirit-led joy that naturally compels us to tell others about the hope we have found.
Conclusion
Friends, let us remember the change that must happen this season is not in the decorations, but in the heart. The spiritual celebration of Christmas requires us to:
Seek Awe: To stand in humble wonder before the mystery of the Incarnation.
Offer Our Best: To give the King our time, talent, and renewed devotion.
Proclaim His Joy: To share the good news with the frantic and searching world around us.
This Christmas, let us change the focus. Let us exchange the stress of things for the serenity of the Savior. Let us truly celebrate the birth of our Lord, Christ the Lord. Amen.
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