Experts on “The Real Meaning of Christmas.”
OK, I’ll admit that I’m not at my sharpest after spending ten hours in the office, driving home, taking out the trash (yakety-yak don’t talk back) having a nice meal, and then settling down to watch Tucker or Hallmark (maybe both). But last night before I went into my doze-mode I heard an advertisement for a movie touting The Real Meaning of Christmas, accompanied by some teaser previews dashing across the screen, and I’m sure I saw Old St. Nick in all of his historical regalia as somehow embodying “The Real Meaning of Christmas.”
I love Christmas, and I love a few days off hearkening all the way back to elementary school, high school, and college. I love opening presents, giving presents, and the loving feelings that seem more present and prevalent in that magical season. And it is magical, but not in the sense that it is usually portrayed. And I’m anything “but” a bah humbug kind of a guy (Expressing cynicism, disillusionment or distrustfulness; and specifically a dislike of Christmas and its celebrations and festivities.) That’s not who I am! But Mr. S. Claus has about as much to do with the real meaning of Christmas as the Easter Bunny has to do with the resurrection, or the Great Pumpkin has to do with thanking God, which is absolutely, positively, nothing at all!
We are Americans, and at least until January 20, 2021 we are free to believe as we wish and desire, so for those who wish to embrace S. Claus as the real meaning of Christmas,
they have that right, and I scarcely begrudge them a little bit in that respect. But the magic of Christmas has nothing to do with reindeer or chimneys! It has to do with the “magic” of the Incarnation, which is better termed the miracle of the Incarnation, when God Himself took on flesh for the purpose of saving mankind from his sins. 1 Timothy 3:16 (KJV) “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh,…”
Love is involved in the real meaning of Christmas, giving is involved, receiving is involved, and warm feelings are involved, but the initiation is God’s love for us. It’s His giving on our behalf, it’s our receiving the gift of eternal life through the LORD Jesus Christ (Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” And all of that together does give us warm feelings, and even warm feelings extended to others. Why, if we would only take time to absorb the scriptural words included in them, even the traditional Christmas Carols don’t soft-pedal the real meaning of Christmas.
Hollywood can dress Christmas icons as they wish, and they can frame the real meaning of Christmas according to their particular perspective, defining it in the eye of their own beholding, but eyes really did behold the Incarnate Christ on earth, eyes really will again do so when He returns, (Rev 1: 7) and “Eye hath not seen,…. the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” (1 Cor 2:9). I would like it if these Hollywood Hoodwinkers would either honestly present “The Real Meaning of Christmas” or otherwise change the title of their balderdash! The real meaning of Christmas is Jesus Christ laid in a manger. There was no chimney!
And I do love Christmas!
Love to all,
Pastor
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