
To me what makes Christmas special is the manger scene. Without that manger scene there wouldn’t be any Christmas. This is why I try to incorporate that place again and again whenever I write Christmas songs. It is so important to remind myself what Christmas is all about. Christmas is not about Santa Claus or Rudolph the red nose reindeer, or Frosty the Snowman. It’s not even about getting so many gifts! Christmas is about that little babe in that manger a long time ago in Bethlehem – Christ, the Lamb of God, and the Gift of God for mankind so that we can have God and see God face to face. So that through Jesus Christ we can find remission for sins and life everlasting with Him.
I was born in the Philippines, and the first thirteen years of my life were spent there. That might be nothing now in comparison to how many years I’ve been living here in America. But those first thirteen years of my life set the tone for how I feel about Christmas. Every year around Christmas time I would remember preparing for the Christmas play and always, always it was about the Birth of Christ. I didn’t fully understand then the importance of His birth, but thank God I knew in my heart what makes Christmas special: Jesus Christ. God becoming a human being so that we can look at His face and be saved.
I remember one Christmas play, getting excited and nervous at the same time trying to remember my part. This was at an earlier time in my life, when my brother was the little baby in the manger. He was probably about three years old, and I was about six or seven years old. I was so nervous about him not keeping still in the manger. What if he cried? What if he gets bored and fidgets? But he was a good little trooper. He stayed there holding his little blankie with his little chubby legs exposed, trying to be patient. Oh how adorable he looked. He had on his little white cloth diaper and white cotton shirt. I was so relieved when the song we were singing was over and the little ones around the manger tried helping him to get out of it. I could finally breathe. The giggling that went through the crowd though, I could still hear it. It wasn’t an easy feat for them getting him out of there. He wasn’t a little baby after all. He was a fully-grown baby. He could walk. They had to try to get him out without tipping the manger over. It wasn’t easy.
These days I have to remind myself what Christmas is all about, because it can be very hectic and sometimes very stressful. I have to tell myself to enjoy it and be thankful. I haven’t seen a Christmas play in years now, but Christmas still is very special to me. Even more so now that I’ve experienced forgiveness of sin, and healing and redemption through my relationship with Jesus Christ. Christmas is so very special to me. No, December 25th might not be the exact day Christ was born, but that doesn’t really matter to me. The most important thing is that I remember His birth. I remember that God came to earth and became like one of us. He wanted us to belong to Him, and so He made a way to belong to us. The more I grow closer in my relationship with Jesus Christ, the more Christmas becomes special to me.
This year I hope and pray that God’s love and peace will fill us and our homes. I hope that we will remember that we are very special in God’s eyes and are very much loved by Him. It’s not mundane or meaningless and a waste of our time to celebrate His birth. Yes it can get very stressful and overdone sometimes, especially with trying to get the house prepared for guests and trying to get all those gifts that the people in your life want and that you probably cannot afford. The important thing is to remember the reason we celebrate it – Jesus, the babe in the manger, the Son of God. The Lamb of God who came to take our sins away. He is worth celebrating for. This is what makes Christmas special, so that we can live and have His peace, so that we can have forgiveness of sins and salvation for our souls. So that anyone who believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life. As long as we have Christmas we have hope. We can see better days. Enjoy Christmas!
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. {Isaiah 9:6}
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. {John 3:16}
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 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, good will toward men. {Luke 2:8-14}
Prayer
Thank You so much Father for coming into our lives. Thank You for becoming that beautiful and sweet baby in the manger in Bethlehem over two thousand years ago. Through Your wonderful body and wonderful Son we have life today, we have hope today, and we have forgiveness for our sins. Thank You so much Lord Jesus.
Father I pray for Your blessing and mercy upon me this Christmas season. Please help me always to remember how special this season is and enjoy it. Help me to remember You and feel Your love and Your presence and grace. Let me not get upset if things don’t go exactly the way I had planned it. But help me instead to remember how loved I am because You came to earth. I pray this Father, in Your most wonderful and glorious name, Jesus. Thank You, Father. Amen.
#repost12/2019