“He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree.”
It’s the most wonderful day of the year, the manger is set, the choir singing in joyful glee Glory in Excelsis Deo, dressed in perfection, decorated in all its glory, as the room fills with joy and fellowship, we all look at that baby in the manger and thank him for the birth. And we’ve taken a small journey over the centuries taking short stops at each centuries, and now we are here. Right where we live, and as we bid adieu to the season, let the spirit of Christmas never die in us. Let it burn brighter as each day goes by.
We’ve seen that for the 2nd Century Christians Christmas meant Purpose, the 8th Century it was their Message, for the 10th it was peace, and for the 12th it was change, and for the 15th it was unity, and the 18th it meant hope, and the 20th it meant giving. And Here and Now, what does it mean to you? You decide. This was a story and now you decide how it ends, you write the climax. What does Christmas mean to you today? Christmas is the season of gifts, and the greatest gift you can ever receive is Jesus. And he is the perfect gift, he is anything you want him to be. Are you going through pain? He’s the gift of healing, are you hurting and broken inside? He’s the gift of peace. Is there no joy? He’s the gift of happiness. He’s anything you want him to be. Hold on to Him, never let him go, because what’s Christmas without Christ? He was, is and always will be the meaning of Christmas. Whatever it is that you seek this season, take a look at that baby, he’s enough, more than enough. He’s the gift you don’t deserve, but He’s the gift that was lavishly poured on you, catch hold of him, never let Him go, because it’s all about him.
We can’t focus on Christmas without thinking of the ultimate sacrifice he made for you and for me on the cross of Calvary. The Manger? Beautiful! The angelic orchestra? Delightful! The Starlit tree? Spectacular! But what if I told you, that was not it. What if I told you, there’s more? What if I told you that there is more than meets the eye? With all the celebrations, sometimes the truth is lost, that every step this baby took brought him closer to the cross. The perfect tree grew very long ago and it was not decked with silver or with ornaments of gold. But hanging from its branches was a gift for you and I, Jesus laid His life down on the perfect tree.
This season, let everyday be Christmas, let every day be Christ centred, let Christ be born in you everyday, because this journey is not worth it, if he isn’t there. Choose Him today, and once you meet Him, never let him Go!
“The perfect tree is not the one you adorn with stars, it is the one on the hill, stained with the saviour’s blood”