The Christmas season flies by, doesn't it? It's hard to believe that it's Christmas Eve, and of course, this year it happens to be a Sunday.
You may already be feeling the stress of Christmas being so close. Maybe there are presents to wrap — or presents to buy. Maybe you have food to cook in anticipation of family or friends coming over. Maybe you're juggling church, entertaining, and travel on a Christmas Eve Sunday.
My Christmas Eve this year began with an early-morning rehearsal for Sunday morning services, followed by leading worship. My family will have our yearly tradition of eating supper at Waffle House, and we might go to our church's other campus for an evening Christmas Eve service. It's a long day but totally worth it, although I'll need a nap at some point.
We sure can complicate the holy celebration of Christmas with all the trappings of gift-giving, cooking, and trying to achieve the perfect holiday. It doesn't take much for us to create unnecessary stress and frustration during the season.
Flashback: Christmas Eve Traditions Are Especially Welcome This Year
"Christmas should not be a complicated season, but we complicate the mess," writes Erick Erickson. "The messiness, however, will one day be made clean."
Amen! There's so much hope we can take from remembering that Jesus will redeem all of the frustration, complication, and difficulty in this world for those who entrust their lives to Him. Even our self-inflicted messiness will be clean one day.
It's important to remember why we celebrate:
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and 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 among those with whom he is pleased!”
When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
Taking some time to remember what this season is all about, even if it's just a few minutes, can help center us and de-stress us. Remembering what this season is about fills us with gratitude.
The most famous verse in the New Testament shouldn't be lost on us this time of year. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him" (John 3:16-17, ESV).
Jesus reminded His followers (and us by extension) that "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly" (John 10:10, ESV).
The Apostle Paul explained that "God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8, ESV). Therefore, "if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved" (Romans 10:9, ESV).
Peter Bonner reminds us to "sleep well tonight knowing that your life is important enough to the God of the Universe that He came to earth at Christmas to give you life eternal."
"Do not burden yourselves with a quest for perfection this Christmas," Erickson encourages. "Unburden yourself. The greatest gift was given the first Christmas. You can’t match it. Stop trying. But you can give the gift of kindness to others. In our crazy, messy world, that gift matters."
May we all find the hope, joy, and peace that Jesus brought at His birth. Merry Christmas.
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