Why Christmas is so Dangerous
In addition, there have been credit cards pushed to the max, tempers flaring to the fullest amongst shoppers, road rage as we race to get the closest parking spot and the occasional “Merry Christmas” -- when it is safe for those who care to proclaim it.
It is as if from the moment we are finished celebrating Thanksgiving on Thursday to the time Black Friday begins, some type of powerful, impatient, pushy, consumeristic monster overtakes the masses, up until the last department store closes on December 24 of every year.
We then wake up Christmas morning with a new attitude, and are determined to experience the holiday glee, basking in the joy of giving and receiving the gifts we so passionately fought for over the past 30 days.
“Where is the danger at in all of this?” you might ask.
Okay, I realize that if we exclude the financial debt that some will get into because of Christmas, as well as the strain that the stress of it all causes upon a persons health, and the depression that overcomes so many during this time of year, it doesn’t seem like there is too much to be concerned about.
But I want to propose a new kind of Christmas danger to you, both for the Christian and non-Christian alike. This is not meant to take away from the joy each of us will hopefully experience this Christmas, but to hopefully increase our level of joy by causing us to reflect, as well as respond.
The danger of Christmas for the non-Christian:
For the person who does not believe in Jesus as the son of God, the savior of the world, there is great danger at Christmas time. The danger for them lies in what they are celebrating year after year, and yet at the same time rejecting.
You see, to celebrate Christmas is to acknowledge that Christ was born. A person can try to disassociate themselves from it, by saying “happy holiday” or “bah, humbug!” as much as they want, but if they practice the giving and receiving of gifts each year on December 25 – even if it is in the name of Santa Claus – they are partaking in a holiday that was named and practiced for one purpose only, to acknowledge and remember the birth of Jesus Christ.
* Side note - I am well aware that paganism had its "versions" of a Christ-less Christmas prior to its version Christmas being invented, but Christianity created this version that we (you and me) now acknowledge and practice in our day and age for one purpose only, to acknowledge and celebrate the birth of Jesus.
* Side note - I am well aware that paganism had its "versions" of a Christ-less Christmas prior to its version Christmas being invented, but Christianity created this version that we (you and me) now acknowledge and practice in our day and age for one purpose only, to acknowledge and celebrate the birth of Jesus.
So what danger is there in celebrating Christmas?
The danger in celebrating Christmas is to take part in the giving and receiving of gifts each year, and yet miss out on receiving the greatest gift a person can ever receive, a gift from God Himself.
Jesus explained this very truth to a man named Nicodemas one night. This man was Nicodemas, a religious ruler of Israel who came to Jesus and began asking Him about having a relationship with God. One of the things that Jesus told Nicodemas was the reason behind God sending Jesus into the world.
Jesus said, “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)
Why would the world need to be saved through Jesus?
The Bible tells us, “For the wages (or cost) of our sins is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus, our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)
This verse is saying, because of our mistakes -- both purposeful and ignorant mistakes, there is a penalty or price that has to be paid to make up for it. God knew that we are unable to make up for our mistakes, and because of His enormous love for you and for me, He sent His Son Jesus as a gift to cover the cost.
Christianity is not here to condemn people. In fact, Jesus even told Nicodemas that He was not sent to condemn people, because “the wages of our sins” is what condemns us. Jesus was sent to un-condemn us, and to free us from all of our guilt.
Jesus points out to Nicodemas that God loves us so much that He sent His Son to save us from condemnation, and give us eternal life as well as a new start in this life.
This is why we celebrate Christmas each year, to remember the wonderful and indescribable gift God has given to us, His son.
So the Bible is telling us that God has given us a gift, which is what billions of people acknowledge every Christmas, and that gift is His Son Jesus Christ. The Bible also tells us that in order to gain the benefits of this gift, Jesus has to be received.
Much like on Christmas morning when your kids open their gifts, there are going to be gifts they love and are excited about – like a new bicycle, or a PlayStation game. And then there are going to be gifts that they could care less about – like maybe a new pair of socks, or a pair of new pajamas.
And for you, that is a great thing, because the socks and boxers are usually just thrown into the Christmas mix in order to give them extra gifts to open. It is for their necessity, and not their enjoyment. But on the other hand, you hope and pray that they will love their PlayStation game or the new bicycle you purchased for them, because those items came at a great cost to you.
You work hard for the money that you have, and when you invest that much money into a gift that cost so much, you hope that your kids will not only love it, but that they will take and use that gift to the fullest.
It is no different with God. The gift that God has given to us came at a great cost to Him. He sent His son to save us so that we can be in a right relationship with Him, and enjoy the blessings of being His children. But it cost God the life of His son in order to give us that gift.
And here is where the danger of Christmas confronts us all.
For those who choose to either refuse God’s gift, or simply treat Jesus like the pair of socks or boxers that your child receives on Christmas morning – meaning, you could care less about Him – there is great danger of not only missing out in eternity and being with Jesus in Heaven, but also missing out in the here and now, because you would rather do life your way without God.
It seems a bit odd that we would choose to spend so much time, energy and money preparing for Christmas, and even looking forward to it throughout most of the year. And then, rather than truly embracing the meaning of Christmas and allowing the love of God into our lives, we miss out on the greatest part of the event, which is the person it is pointing us to, Jesus.
Jesus is the gift of God that was given to us, because of the love that God has for us.
So again, Christmas is such a dangerous time of the year for us because it is a time that billions of people are reminded that God has given us a gift, His son. If we choose to continue rejecting this Gift year after year, we will miss out on so much in this life, and we will miss out on so much more in the life to come.
The danger of Christmas for the Christian:
It has been argued that there are many dangers for Christians at Christmas time also. From Santa Claus, to consumerism, to being fired from a job for saying “Merry Christmas.” But that is not what this article is about.
The danger that I want to briefly address is the worst danger that every Christian faces each and every year, and that danger is the danger of “familiarity.”
The familiarity I am speaking about is the familiarity of knowing the “Christmas Story” all too well, and yet not being changed by it.
You see, this Christmas, we will hear about the familiar story of the Savior's birth unfolding once again as it does every year. The angel Gabriel visiting Mary as a young maiden. There will also be Joseph and Mary’s journey to Bethlehem retold, along with the arrival of the Baby in a manger.
The magnificent heavenly choir announcing to the shepherds that the Savior has come, and of course, the star in the east, which leads the wise men to come and worship the newly born Savior of the world.
This is the same old familiar story we hear each and every year, but if we do not look for this story to touch our hearts and change our lives, then why do we even celebrate Jesus’ birth?
As Christians, we above all people know that Jesus is the most powerful life-changing, love-giving, hope-filling, heart-touching, faith-inspiring, indescribable gift a person can ever receive. And that is why we must never allow this story to become ordinary in our lives.
This year, as we celebrate the birth of our Savior, let’s do so with anticipating hearts that not only want to have our faith in this amazing event reaffirmed, but also to have our hearts filled to the uttermost with God’s love, who gave us this indescribable gift, His son, Jesus Christ!
