|
|
by Greg Laurie
“So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new
moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of
Christ.” Colossians 2 :16-17 NKJV
I have always believed in the promise of Christmas. There has always been
something special to me about this time of the year, going back to my earliest
days of childhood.
What is it that we love about Christmas, once we get past the initial trappings?
I think it is the sense of wonder, beauty, and anticipation. It is the music,
the look of surprise on a child’s face, and the amazing food. It’s the
companionship of family and good friends. It is also the absence of strife and
meanness (that is, with the exception of the crowds on “Black Friday”).
But how often does Christmas really deliver on its promises? A little bit here
and there, but by and large, it ends up being the endless drone of mind-numbing
ads on TV. It is the friction and pressure that comes when we are obligated to
purchase gifts for people we barely know. It is the expectation put on us by
others and sometimes even ourselves.
Then there is that big post-Christmas letdown—the letdown of expectations that
can never really be met. We were not able to give what we really wanted to give,
or what they really wanted to receive. Or you yourself did not get what you had
hoped for. Then there are those bills that come due . . .
So what is Christmas at its worst? It is a crass, commercial, empty, exhausting,
and very expensive ritual that drags on endlessly for months at a time.
What is Christmas at its best? It is a glimpse of things to come–the beauty, the
worshipful music, the adoring angels, the love, the warmth, the promise, the
hope…all things promised to us in a life to yet come.
You see, Christmas is a promise. It is a promise that has not yet been fully
kept.
Christmas cannot be all that we want it to be. It’s only a holiday. Christmas
cannot bring harmony to your home. Christmas cannot bring peace on earth.
Christmas cannot bring happiness.
But Christ Himself can do all of this and more. That is really what we are
longing for deep inside.
Not Christmas, but Christ.
Anything or anyone short of this will disappoint. But God never will.
That’s what I want for Christmas–Jesus Christ.
Copyright © 2011 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved.
Not merriment, but the Messiah.
Not goodwill, but God.
Not presents, but His presence.
See Also:
The Audacity of Christmas by Mike Pohlman
Christmas marks the "fullness of time" when God, in his sovereign freedom, "sent forth his Son." The One who dispenses times and seasons determined that it was time to send forth the Son who had existed with the Father from eternity.The Promise of Christmas by Greg Laurie
True Meaning of Christmas
With Christmas, we have a sense of wonder, beauty, and anticipation. We look forward to being with loved ones, family and friends, and eating incredible food. It is a wonderful time of the year. It is also a time that is marked, for the most part, by an absence of meanness. There is a kindness that people will demonstrate toward one another, even strangers.
Have you ever asked children what Christmas means to them?A Son is Given by Lasserre Bradley, Jr.
God’s judgment is just as terrible as his salvation is wonderful. Nowhere is this made clearer than in the Isaiah 9, as the Lord describes in vivid detail the impending doom that He will bring to those who have continued in rebellion against Him.
Christmas Home | Sermons Home | General Sermons and Essays | Articles Home | Library - Home
-------
Malankara World
A service of St. Basil's Syriac Orthodox
Church, Ohio
Copyright © 2009-2020 - ICBS Group. All Rights Reserved.
Disclaimer
Website designed, built, and hosted by
International Cyber Business Services, Inc., Hudson, Ohio
