Looking back at this Christmas, I have a confession to make.
This year, Christmas hasn’t been about baby Jesus coming in a manger. Not for me. Not this time. Well, not exactly.
For when I thought about how Christmas was coming up, the first thing that came to my mind wasn’t the religious implications of Christmas. It was this feeling that Christmas was going to be a special day; a day spent with good food, lovely presents, good company and basically the good life, shared with those I loved. That special feeling was what Christmas meant to me.
At first, that sounds kind of bad. Every year, we Christians thunder, “Jesus is the reason for the season!” Christmas isn’t about Santa, or presents, or even family time, but about Jesus, we say.
So what does baby Jesus coming in a manger mean?
It means, like the angel said, Emmanuel. God with us. God coming down amongst all the sin and the suffering and vowing to change all that. This is the chance for a redeemed life.
It means the Prince of Peace, our Wonderful Counsellor, is here.
It means “Joy to the world, and peace and goodwill to men, on whom His favour rests.”
It means that with God with us, we can have a relationship with God that restores our broken world and gives us peace; peace with God, peace with our neighbours, peace with ourselves. Joy, peace, goodwill. All this through friendship with God made possible by God-with-us.
That’s the theology of Christmas we’re supposed to think about on Christmas day.
But if that’s the theology of Christmas, then I guess my family-time, Christmas-party, food-guzzling, present-shopping, present-giving Christmas was my moment of Christmas theology.
Bear with me here.
I can spend the whole day in my family’s house peacefully and quietly because God, the Prince of Peace, is with us.
I can go to church and sing the same old songs again with the same old people I meet every week, and have a real sense of community because Jesus, our shared King of Kings, is among us.
I can go to a Christmas party and just hang out with my friends, goofing around, having deep chats, shallow chats, good food and basically a good happy time, at peace with God and man, because Jesus is God with us.
I had joy, peace, goodwill this Christmas. I experienced a taste of what it means to have God with us.
So even if I haven’t thought about it theologically, maybe, just maybe, the theology of Christmas has revolutionised my life anyway. These good times, these joyous times, this shared goodwill I have with my friends and family, is the point of Christmas when it is the fruit of God with us.
I know not everyone has a Christmas like that (for some people, Christmas is just plain horrible), and it’s rude of me to presume it’s the normal experience, but isn’t that kind of the point? This is definitely not the normal human experience.
This peace and joy and goodwill is only possible because Jesus, the Prince of Peace, is with us. It’s the theology of Christmas after all.
And maybe for all our talk about how Christmas isn’t about presents, or good food, or good company, or even family, maybe it is. Maybe it is about how all these things are made richer and better because of what Christ has done for us.
And he will be named Emmanuel, which means, God with us.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest, And on earth, peace, goodwill toward men!”
The Guy Out The Back 
Thanks Josh,
Maybe this ties in with what you did at Compass eh!
So glad you had great Christmas with the family, so did we after a fab time singing carols at church, and ending the day around the piano singing carols with our family.
Mumma G
Yes, it does in many ways Mrs Grosser.
Sounds like a great Christmas- singing around the piano like that must have been very special.
Stellar post Josh! That is exactly what I’ve been thinking and feeling this Christmas. Christmas is the start of something big; something amazing, something sin-shattering: new life with God. And it’s because of Jesus, who was born in a stable.
Jess
Stellar post, Josh! That is exactly what I’ve been thinking and feeling this year, too (great minds think alike, eh?) Christmas is the start of something big, something amazing, something sin-shattering: new life with God!
Jess
Thanks Jess!
“something sin-shattering”- isn’t that one of the lines from Jesus Christ: Super Savior? Anyways, I like it. It has a good ring to it.
I think there is an issue of growingup too. When you were children it was important for me to establish good beliefs in your heart which is why we really did make a big fuss on the theology and Biblical truths. As you reflect back on your day you will notice there was moments where we were intentional to think on the things God has done – this wasn’t religious but rather, just as you think of your sister on her birthday we were intentional in thinking about God as well. If we don’t take moments – everyday – to intentionally think about Jesus then our relationship will go stale. Good post though.
That’s true mum. But on the other hand, that’s the same message preached to adults as well. We don’t just say “Christmas is about Jesus” to kids, it’s the topic of almost every sermon on Christmas day to adult audiences as well.
But yes, the intentionality is essential. Things this important don’t just happen. You have to think about them: maybe that’s another blog post!
The more seamless the connection between our beliefs and their fruit in our lives the better. Thanks Josh
You summed it up Dad. Maybe you should start blogging this stuff too. 😉
Great thoughts! Keep up the blogging 🙂