by Catherine McDaugale | Dec 11, 2023 | Christian Living, Life
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us . . . . (John 1:14 (NKJV))
I’ve heard it said that entertainment is a reflection of culture or where culture is headed. And it’s true, isn’t it? When you watch a movie, you somehow become a part of it. You want the encounter to be heartwarming, exciting, encouraging, or empowering. As you live out the story with the characters, that experience wouldn’t be those things if it didn’t fit into your worldview.
Christmas movies are no exception. And, unfortunately, a closer look at the most popular ones reveals that they have little, if anything, to do with Christ Jesus.
Instead, the scores of Hallmark Christmas romance movies and holiday favorites like
- It’s a Wonderful Life,
- A Christmas Carol,
- A Christmas Story,
- Elf,
- National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,
- How the Grinch Stole Christmas,
and others abound with themes of family, belonging, loving, giving, Santa Claus, and poking fun at the difficulties of family gatherings. They’re centered around man-made traditions. And they are often light-hearted and give us that warm, fuzzy holiday feeling.
Those that include angels and ideas about the meaning of life often contain beliefs that are contrary to a Biblical worldview (e.g., humans don’t become angels or come back to warn others about their destiny). And other than a random Christmas carol, the name of Jesus or the reason we celebrate His birth is rarely mentioned.
I’m not saying that the movies are bad, in and of themselves. Nor am I saying you shouldn’t watch them. (I confess, I watch Elf and It’s a Wonderful Life just about every year.) But we should be aware of what’s missing from them. And we should recognize that Christ Jesus isn’t a part of many people’s lives – they don’t give Him a single thought during this time.
When we realize what’s missing, we’ll be more likely to share why we celebrate Christmas. The Word (Jesus) became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14). Christ Jesus left His glory in heaven to be born as a baby – a baby who grew up to be a man. He lived a perfect life (Hebrews 4:15) and died on the cross so our sins could be forgiven (Colossians 1:13–14). We celebrate His birth and the hope that He brought to a hopeless world.
So as Christmas draws near, be intentional about sharing the hope that only exists because of Christ Jesus. Make sure that Christ is at the center of your Christmas celebration. And praise God for the amazing sacrifice He made for you as you walk by faith with Him.
Photo by Waldemar on Unsplash
by Catherine McDaugale | Dec 26, 2022 | Bible Study, Christian Living, Life
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14 (NKJV))
Why do we celebrate Christmas? Even those who aren’t Christian know it’s the day set aside to celebrate the birth of Jesus. But what’s so special about someone’s birthday?
Now that the busyness of the Christmas holiday has subsided, let’s reflect on how amazing it is that Jesus was born that night in Bethlehem over 2,000 years ago. And let’s meditate on what His birth meant for us.
People are sinners. The Bible tells us that all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23). And our sins put us in a real quandary. They left us separated from God.
None of us could pay the penalty for our sins. Our sins were too costly because they were committed against a perfect, all-powerful God. Because we are imperfect, we couldn’t do anything to pay off our debt. The best we could offer was like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6).
But God knew our predicament. He knew we weren’t able to save ourselves. So, God Himself chose to pay the penalty for our sins. And He was our only hope.
Jesus is God. He was there at the beginning with God the Father (John 1:1). He existed before anything was created. Jesus is eternal. He was not created; He is the Creator.
Everything was made through Jesus. He created you, me, the mountains, the trees, the flowers, the animals, the birds, the earth, the stars, and the universe – to name just a few. The Bible says, “All things were created through Him and for Him” (Colossians 1:16 (NKJV)).
Yet, with all that power, Jesus chose to leave His glory in heaven to be born a helpless baby on earth. He loves you so much that He wanted to make a way for you to have a relationship with Him.
Jesus – the Word – became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14). He lived a perfect, sinless life; willingly died on the cross for your sins; was buried; and rose from the grave three days later (Matthew 28:6; John 10:17-18; Romans 5:8; 2 Corinthians 5:21).
How can we fully grasp the great sacrifice that our God made for us? An infinite God chose to come down to earth and take on a finite body. He left heaven, knowing that He would be rejected by His creation and die on the cross.
And He did it all for you. Jesus did it so your sins could be forgiven. He did it so you could have eternal life with Him. It’s truly something to celebrate!
So, whether or not you made time to worship Jesus on Christmas, worship Him now. Our worship is not confined to any specific day. In the aftermath of the holiday rush, let’s slow down and remember everything that our faithful God has done for us. Let’s take time to worship Jesus as we walk by faith with Him.
