Jesus Is the Reason

Archived Notes

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Jesus Is the Reason

(reprinted from Biblical Insights, vol. 8, no. 12, December 2008)

Last year, I saw a lighted sign on a church building that read, “Jesus Is the Reason for the Season.” I thought to myself, Is that true?

Is Jesus the reason that people descend upon the malls and stores this time of year with unashamed greed and materialism? Is Jesus the reason why many buy gifts for people they do not even like, being compelled by peer pressure or a guilty conscience? Is Jesus the reason why spoiled parents give their already-spoiled children more than they will ever need, being unwilling to suppress the desire for instant gratification? Is Jesus really the reason for all the ugliness of our pseudo-religious culture at this time of year?

Despite all the colorful lights, tinsel, garlands, and “good cheer” (which is often some form of alcohol), many people are lonely, hurting, and miserable, resulting in depression and even suicide. Despite all the attention, songs, hype, and commercialism of Christmas, our country is still riddled with child abuse, social injustice, and spiritual indifference. Despite all the pious attention that churches give to the story of Jesus’ birth, religious sectarianism remains, ambitious preachers still write their own gospels, and people still offer vain worship led by vain men in a vain hope of seeking God—or at least some form of absolution.

Contrary to what it may seem, I’m not “Bah, humbug!” toward the holiday season. My point is: Jesus is not the reason for this institutionalized, merchandised, and materialistic season: people are. Someone says, “Then we ought to celebrate His birthday with more sincerity and less commercialism.” No, we should celebrate Jesus, regardless of the calendar or any man-made holiday. We should celebrate His life, ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension to the right hand of the Father (Acts 2:33). While we cannot (and should not) isolate His birth from the rest of His work as the Redeemer, we should never overemphasize it, either. Jesus is not the reason for Christmas, but He is the reason for our salvation and all that is good in the world.

For all the publicity that He receives (even incidentally) at Christmastime, Jesus’ life on earth began and ended in humility. His mother and (assumed) father were poor peasants. His first cradle was a cow’s feeding trough (Luke 2:7). His birth was not situated in a glowing, sterilized nativity scene, but occurred in a smelly and unsanitary barn. There were no singing animals; there was no little drummer boy; and Wise Men did not visit Him until possibly months or years later.

Nonetheless, there was something most spectacular and extraordinary about the entrance of the Son of God into the world. His birth was announced by an archangel (Luke 1:26-38) who informed us that Jesus would be the most special Child ever to be born. Indeed, He would be a “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, [and] Prince of Peace” (Isa. 9:6) not only to Israel but the entire world. He was foretold in prophecy, conceived by God, and born of a virgin (Mat. 1:18-25). Angels introduced the Child to shepherds as not only a great King, but a Savior (Luke 2:10-14).

Yet the gospels do not linger over His birth; Mark and John do not even mention it. Jesus’ birth is not the end of the story, or even its beginning: the full story of the Redeemer began before the foundation of the world (Eph. 3:11). The gospels emphasize the mission, work, and purpose of a suffering Savior, not His birth (Luke 24:25-27). Even Jesus said, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). He did not come merely to receive sinners, but to transform them into saints of God. He came to gather His sheep together from all humanity: “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand” (John 10:27-28). He came to show the world who God is, what God does, how God cares, and that He is a saving God.

Jesus did not come to bring peace on earth—in fact, He flatly denied this (Luke 12:49-53). However, He did come to make peace between God and those who would receive Him—which is the message of the angels who announced His birth (Luke 2:14; see also Rom. 5:1-2). Jesus is not the cause of division in the world, but men’s self-serving hearts are why our world is filled with division, confusion, and greed (cf. Jas. 3:13-18). Jesus’ kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36), which forces those who truly follow Him to separate themselves from this world (2 Cor. 6:17).

While celebrating one day over another may be a person’s private conviction (cf. Rom. 14:5-6), Jesus’ birth is not the focus of God’s plan of redemption. It is true that Jesus had to be born as a man in order to carry out His Father’s will—and thus we are grateful for His birth and amazed by its unique and supernatural circumstances—but we cannot make more of it than is necessary.

“Yes,” someone says, “but what about the true meaning of Christmas?” By this, one refers to people’s giving and sharing which seems to be inspired by Christ’s birth. But the gospel is not really about what we give to God, for even our finest gifts have no value by themselves. The gospel is all about what God gives to us: salvation from spiritual suffering, atonement for our sins, and grace for all the grief we have caused both God and ourselves. God did not give us a helpless Child lying in a manger; He gave us a Great King, a Living Savior, a Powerful Redeemer. In essence, He gave us who are otherwise hopeless a living hope (cf. 1 Pet. 1:3).

It is a profound fact, too, that while God sent angels to announce the birth of His Son, He has sent Christians into the world to proclaim His death (1 Cor. 2:2, 15:3-4). We are not filled with a morbid interest in His gruesome torture on the cross. Rather, we recognize all that His death has accomplished—which is far more than His birth ever could, left to itself. Christ’s atoning sacrifice is not to be celebrated with decorated trees, twinkling lights, and nativity scenes. We are not told to proclaim Him through holiday carols, Christmas cards, and special midnight services. Rather, we memorialize Him as He has instructed us through the weekly observance of the Lord’s Supper (1 Cor. 11:23-26). In doing this, we not only remember the price of our redemption, but we also “proclaim His death until He comes,” which means that we do not believe in a dead Savior but a living One. “Do this in remembrance of Me,” He has told us; He has never instructed us to remember His birth.

Not only are we to observe the greatness of His death, but we are to live the greatness of His life. The proclamation of His death is manifested in our lives, hearts, charitable deeds, and, yes, our own cross-bearing (Luke 9:23). While “Christmas” is the invention of the Catholic Church and the modern retail industry, the Christian life is the product of a Christ-saved and Spirit-led heart that worships the Lord every day of the week, every day of the year. The celebration of Christmas does not transform people’s souls, but the gospel of Christ has, does, and always will.

Despite having said all this, I admit that I have a soft spot for the holiday season. Since my childhood, it has been a time of family, friends, and fond memories. If nothing else, it is a bright spot in the darkness of winter. But my sentimental attachment to a mere season does not change who I am; it cannot serve as the basis for my beliefs. Thus, while some may sincerely wish me a “Merry Christmas,” I wish every person would deny himself, take up his cross, and follow the Lord Jesus (cf. Mat. 16:24). By doing this, a person’s heart will be renewed day by day (2 Cor. 4:16) and his soul will be preserved forever (2 Tim. 1:12).

Jesus is not the reason for the season, but He is the reason anyone has hope. He is the original inspiration for every genuine act of kindness and charity. Even in our finest hour, we are merely imitators of the finest Man who ever lived. He is the reason for all that is good in the world. He is the reason for our existence, period.

“Joy to the world // The Lord is come”—yes, and He is coming again (Heb. 9:28). If you stand in fellowship with God, then you have reason to rejoice indeed.

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