The Christmas season is upon us, and along with the brisk, cool air, the impending holiday ushers in a rush of excitement, joy, and heartfelt giving. Lights are strung, gifts are wrapped, family traditions are continued and the wonder in a child’s eyes glows warm and bright under the starry night sky. The Christmas season is deemed the most wonderful time of the year and along with many others, my heart undoubtedly beats in agreement.
Christmas is a magical time. There’s an unexplainable joy that consumes me with every glowing light, cookie aroma and cherished family tradition. One of those long standing cherished traditions that’s woven its way into my heart, occurs after the daytime gives way to the night throughout the entirety of the Christmas season. The darkness consuming the inside of my house is only broken by the soft, warm glow of the white lights draped over the branches of the Christmas tree along with the ones tightly wrapped around the garland sitting atop the fireplace mantle.
I become still.
My whole existence becomes still, as if I’m watching time slowly wind to a stall right before my eyes. The silence hovers and fills the air around me. My mind briefly envisions the parties, the food, the excitement of my children tearing open gifts on Christmas morning and it suddenly forms a smile upon my face. A sense of peace begins to surface in my heart, that brings joy to my soul.
All the treasured family traditions we experience at Christmas are heart warming and meaningful, but do they provide us the stillness we need to reflect and ponder on the true meaning of Christmas?
The birth of the Savior, Jesus Christ!
Maybe the loss of a loved one makes it unbelievably difficult to celebrate the holiday. Maybe we’ve let the gift giving and business of the season over shadow the birth of the King. Maybe all the family traditions are just simply what you know Christmas to be.
But Christmas is so much more!
So much more than just another story. This is a story that unwraps the wonder of Heaven’s glory.
Our internal longing for hope was satisfied through the birth of Jesus. A world in chaos under a cloud of darkness. A search for an invisible light until it shone bright through the eyes of a child. A baby born to save, brought with it freedom from the sin of this world and an eternal reward in Heaven forever through His eventual death on the cross. A cleansing of our sin and acceptance into a glorious eternity only through our sheer faith and trust in Jesus.
There is no other way to access a perfectly divine eternity with God. Jesus is the way. He is the truth. He is the life. Acts 4 says it like this…
“There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under Heaven by which we must be saved.” - Acts 4:12 NLT
Christmas provides a time of remembrance, reflection and acceptance of the free gift of salvation through the blood of Jesus.
Without the birth of the Savior, there is no death to sin. No way to escape from the grip of a dark, sinful world. No way to enter into the gates of Heaven with the one and only Creator.
“But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds we are healed.” - Isaiah 53:5 NLT
So this Christmas as you hustle from place to place, buying gift after gift, sipping hot chocolate by the fire while the kids watch Frosty The Snowman, take some time to just be still. Let your thoughts gravitate towards the baby lying in a manger with the weight of the world on His shoulders. Let your heart beat peacefully for the baby born without a crown, but a King nonetheless.
If you have any questions regarding the story of Jesus or salvation, please feel free to reach out to us. We would love to talk with you and help answer any questions you may have.
How do I become saved?
How do I know I’m saved?
I would like to know more about who Jesus is and what He’s done for me.
Reach out with any questions you may have and know that you are loved!
Contacts:
Pastor Kyle Wiley - kdwiley83@gmail.com or text (502) 220-9943
Zach Shaw - zachary.shaw0512@gmail.com
As wonderful as all the festivities surrounding Christmas can be, nothing quite compares to the peace found in those quiet moments of stillness. A stillness that allows you to make room in your heart for the birth of the Savior. A King Wrapped In Wonder.
Merry Christmas
By: Zach Shaw
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