Jerry McGhee, Pastor,
Sun Lakes Community Church
The novel entitled Godric of Finchale chronicles the wanderings and experiences of a 12th century English monk. I was struck by a comment he made about Christians. Godric had been to Christmas Mass and while reflecting upon the significance of the Mass, he said, “An easy thing it is to love a baby. A baby asks little, never chides. A baby is fair to see. A baby is hope for better things to come. All this and more. But babies grow up into men at last. That’s when it becomes a bitter brew.”
As I read those lines, I found myself thinking that Godric had put his finger on one of the reasons Christmas is so popular. It’s popular because it’s about a baby. It gives us the story of a baby without the complications of the man he becomes. Christmas appears to offer religion without the bitter brew of accountability and consequences. It seems that at Christmas the vast majority of people do not take into consideration why it was that Christ was born. On the surface, Christmas appears to offer religions without the crucifixion, but that is just the surface. The reality is far different. The reality is that God has said in the Scriptures:
All have sinned and comes short of His standards. The reality is that the Scriptures tell us that not one of us is righteous and that the wages or payment for our sin is death. The painful reality is that man needs a Savior…without which he will surely reap eternal death.
So as you celebrate this season of the year, take a moment and ponder the “reason for this season.” The Babe of Bethlehem grew to become the Man who makes it possible for us to enter into a personal relationship with the Sovereign God. That’s the real reason to celebrate Christmas.