Is Christmas Over-rated?
Before you read this, please click the title and head over to Kristy's blog. This is a blatant rip off of her subject. Well, not a rip-off so much as a counter-point.
Done yet? Good. Let me rebutt.
True, more is made of the death and resurrection of the Christ and it's importance to our faith and eternal life. Through the death of Christ, the vicarious atonement is made. As is wonderfully portrayed in a recent movie, Aslan goes to the Stone Table and offers up his life for the life of Edmund, a treacherous traitor. Through the Resurrection of Christ, we, too, are raised to a new type of life in Christ as our hearts are renewed through the same power that brought him back from the dead. I will agree that, for Christians, there is no more power-packed weekend than Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday.
But that doesn't mean that Christmas is over-rated.
"Therefore, the LORD himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and give birth to a son, and will call him 'Immanuel,' (which means, 'God with us.')" --Isaiah 7:14
There is so much wrapped up in this prophesy (get it? "wrapped"?), but I want to focus on the name of the child: Immanuel or Emmanuel, if you prefer. "God with us." How is it that God comes to be with us? Does He take the equivalent of a giant eraser to the world and start over? Does he give a 5-step plan for man to reach some minimum standard of acceptability? No, He comes to be with us.
Christmas is the holiday of humility. Imagine this truth: Jesus Christ, present at the creation of the world and Adam, pooped in his diapers. Jesus Christ, the very Word from the beginning, had to learn how to talk. Jesus Christ, the omnipotent and omnipresent Lord of the Universe, had to learn how to walk, as if that were the only way he could get from point A to point B.
In her blog, Kristy talks about the various cleaning challenges she was faced with last week: the poop, the puke, and all the rest. She lowered herself because of a love she has for these children and the hopes that they will grow to be more than they ever imagined. In the same love, Christ lowers himself to be with his Creation in the same hopes. He comes to repmove the stain of sin and impart a divine power that enables us to become more than we ever thought possible in this life. All this is wrapped up in swaddling cloths and placed in a manger.
Over-rated? Nah. Just under appreciated.
Merry Christmas.
Done yet? Good. Let me rebutt.
True, more is made of the death and resurrection of the Christ and it's importance to our faith and eternal life. Through the death of Christ, the vicarious atonement is made. As is wonderfully portrayed in a recent movie, Aslan goes to the Stone Table and offers up his life for the life of Edmund, a treacherous traitor. Through the Resurrection of Christ, we, too, are raised to a new type of life in Christ as our hearts are renewed through the same power that brought him back from the dead. I will agree that, for Christians, there is no more power-packed weekend than Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday.
But that doesn't mean that Christmas is over-rated.
"Therefore, the LORD himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and give birth to a son, and will call him 'Immanuel,' (which means, 'God with us.')" --Isaiah 7:14
There is so much wrapped up in this prophesy (get it? "wrapped"?), but I want to focus on the name of the child: Immanuel or Emmanuel, if you prefer. "God with us." How is it that God comes to be with us? Does He take the equivalent of a giant eraser to the world and start over? Does he give a 5-step plan for man to reach some minimum standard of acceptability? No, He comes to be with us.
Christmas is the holiday of humility. Imagine this truth: Jesus Christ, present at the creation of the world and Adam, pooped in his diapers. Jesus Christ, the very Word from the beginning, had to learn how to talk. Jesus Christ, the omnipotent and omnipresent Lord of the Universe, had to learn how to walk, as if that were the only way he could get from point A to point B.
In her blog, Kristy talks about the various cleaning challenges she was faced with last week: the poop, the puke, and all the rest. She lowered herself because of a love she has for these children and the hopes that they will grow to be more than they ever imagined. In the same love, Christ lowers himself to be with his Creation in the same hopes. He comes to repmove the stain of sin and impart a divine power that enables us to become more than we ever thought possible in this life. All this is wrapped up in swaddling cloths and placed in a manger.
Over-rated? Nah. Just under appreciated.
Merry Christmas.
1 Comments:
Hey-
I will agree with you, I was on a study break from finals and decided to take a few minutes to write my blog...I know I should have taken the time to go further in depth with this topic.
I agree with you on that maybe Christmas is under appreciated. We need to look at Jesus as a man and to be a man he had to be born, but we need to keep in mind that the holiday in spirit needs to be celebrated all the time in our hearts not just on our Christmas trees. Thanks for your comments.
Have a wonderful week! God Bless.
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