The Reason for the Season

Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). (Matthew 1:18-23 ESV).

 

Family will start to arrive soon. All the gifts have been purchased, wrapped, shipped, and tagged. I’ll make one final trip to the grocery store to get all the ingredients for a Christmas dinner of epic proportions as I prepare my grandmother’s recipe of pasta and meat sauce. It’s been a while since I’ve made a big pot of sauce, though I have no doubt I’ll be able to recreate it one more time. However, the gifts, the family gathered, the food, and the fellowship are not the reasons we celebrate this season. Our reading makes it very clear there is something far greater worth celebrating. The coming of Immanuel, God with us, is the reason for the season.

 

Anything we can ever receive on this earth does not come close in comparison to the greatest gift ever given to us and doesn’t cost us anything. That gift is the birth of Jesus. It is a gift given freely to us by the birth of Jesus Christ. When Christmas draws near we can get so consumed with our version of the “Perfect Christmas” that we can push aside what it is truly about. This should prompt us to reevaluate what we do during this season.

 

We should take care to evaluate our concern over the things we think need to be “perfect” for us to celebrate this season. The “things” in our lives do not need to be “perfect” nor will they ever be. What we need to remember is the “perfect” way God chose to make himself known to us and that is through his one and only begotten son, Jesus. This being said, we should not become districted and forget that One perfect thing. The virgin has conceived and given birth to Immanuel, God with us through Jesus Christ. Jesus humbled himself as a servant so you and I could be reconciled with God.

I can NOT think of a greater gift that we can receive, can you?