What does Christmas mean to you? I’ve thought about this question often over the course of the last few weeks. I think it’s important to reflect on the season and not just run through the month as if it barely exists!
There have been years where it’s meant presents and stockings. That’s been usually as a small child. There’s been periods of time in my life when the girls were celebrating holidays with others, and Christmas meant loneliness and sadness. More recently, when I’ve thought about what Christmas meant to me, it was about family and time spent together. And most often, I feel Christmas means the birth of Jesus. It’s a beautiful time to remember the baby in a manger who came to save the world.
Sitting down this holiday season, I’ve found that my thoughts are different than the usual. While I always remember the virgin birth, I heard something that resonated with me….the birth of Jesus, the Christmas story doesn’t end with our Savior’s birth. It’s just the beginning of the beautiful Christmas story of Love come down to earth.
God allowed his beloved Son to become fully God, fully man. He allowed a young girl, Mary, and a wonderful foster father, Joseph, raise Jesus. Jesus grew up teaching people, showing love, foreshadowing what was to come and leading people into an understanding of what salvation by grace meant. This man willingly took on our punishment, a debt we so easily deserve and yet so readily avoid. They nailed Jesus to a cross to become the sacrificial Lamb only to see Him resurrected three days later! Praise God that our Savior lives!
“For a Child will be born to us, a Son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.” –Isaiah 9:6
That’s how I’d like Christmas to feel to me…as the start of a beautiful and redeeming story of God’s perfect love!
How about you, Iron Porch friends? What does Christmas mean to you? Share in the comments!
~Erin
Iron Porch 