If you were to go around ask ask people why we have Christmas, I'm sure that the majority would say that it is to celebrate Christ's birth. If you were to take it a step farther, and ask why we should celebrate Christ's birth, I imagine that you'd get answers such as "Because He died for us" or "Because He is our Savior" or "Because He forgives our sins." While such answers are indeed correct and appropriate, I think that most of us (myself included) answer in such a way because that is what we've been told, without really understanding just how incredible those things really are. Take, for example, the fact that He forgives sins. What exactly does that even mean? I love the way CS Lewis describes it in Mere Christianity. "We can all understand how a man forgives offenses against himself. You tread on my toe and I forgive you, you steal my money and I forgive you. But what should we make of a man, himself unrobbed and untrodden on, who announced that he forgave you for treading on other men's toes and stealing other men's money? Asinine fatuity is the kindest description we should give of his conduct. Yet this is what Jesus did. He told people that their sins were forgiven, and never waited to consult all the other people whom their sins had undoubtedly injured. He unhesitatingly behaved as if He was the party chiefly concerned, the person chiefly offended in all offenses." One way I am inclined to partially disagree with this, though, is that He was affected by all the deeds for which we need forgiveness, since He paid the price for them. Thus, when we nonchalantly remark that Christ forgives sins, we really should stop and realize what an amazing thing that is. Next, as I mentioned, people may remark that He died for us. So what? There are thousands of veterans out there that "died for us", and they don't get a huge holiday to recognize them (as a side note, we really should make Veteran's Day a bigger deal than we currently do). What is different about Christ's dying for us? It means that each and every one of us will be resurrected, and have the chance to return to live with Him and His Father. Now, I'll be the first to admit that I don't understand at all what that means. However, I know that this gift is more incredible than anything we've ever experienced. How do I know this? For one, the scriptures say that it is greater than any gift on earth. But what if the scriptures aren't true? Well, there have been times (and they don't happen that frequently) when I have felt a bit of what that must feel like, and those feelings help me to know that we really do have the chance to live with God again, and it really will be worth working for. As I mentioned, though, I don't fully understand it, but I do believe that when we say that Christ died for us, we really are saying an incredible thing.
So what's the point of all of this rambling? More than anything, this post has been for me to reflect a bit on the true meaning of Christmas. It's easy to get caught up in the season, and forget Christ. However, I think when we remember Christ at Christmas, we should remember that we're not just celebrating the birth of a baby, we're also celebrating the life, death and resurrection of the King of Kings, the Prince of Peace, to Whom one day we will all bow the knee and confess that He is Lord. (Philippians 2:10-11)
