It’s the Christmas season again. And despite being in a worldwide pandemic, the hustle of the season is still swirling about. People are frantically striving to make this the most normal Christmas that they can. It’s a daunting but somewhat noble task that they have set upon themselves. But honestly, what is a normal Christmas?

Normally, we rush from store to store looking for the perfect gift for everyone, overspending our budgets and stressing over our choices. We try to decorate the house big and bright so our social media following approves. We tell the children to write letters to a man at the North Pole, hoping that he will gift them with everything they want. We run around trying to make everything bright and joyful and pretty and exciting for just one day.

But I’m not going to lie… I don’t miss normal Christmas.

Christmas is not about the decorations or the food or even the gifts. And it’s most certainly not about an imaginary old man with reindeer and a sleigh. I’m going to reiterate what many have said before me and what many will say after me. It’s Jesus. He is what Christmas is about. Him. The entire reason we celebrate on the 25th of December is Jesus. And if your reason for getting excited this season is not about him, I honestly don’t understand. Because he is the reason we even have this season, this holiday. He is the reason we are here. Without him, December would be just another month.

But if you will for a moment, really think about this. All those years ago, God in heaven decided to give the greatest gift of all time to more people than we can imagine. He gave us Jesus. He gave you Jesus. He gave me Jesus.

I don’t know about you, but I get really giddy when buying people I love gifts. It’s exciting to find something you know is just right for them, and the anticipation for them receiving the gift is immeasurable. I imagine their face when they see it. I think about the emotions they may have. I feel joy just thinking about how much they will love it. I love giving gifts. And this morning, I started to wonder if that is how God felt on that evening as he waited for Mary to give birth to his great gift. I wonder if He too felt the giddy excitement.

A couple years ago, I bought my friends leather notebooks with their names engraved on it for Christmas. I knew many of them were going to love it (they love notebooks) and I was dancing with excitement to share it with them. Each notebook was a little different. Beyond having their name on it, each had a different design engraved on the front that was meant just for them. I had carefully selected a style just for each of them, and had their name put on it. And while it was fun to have the notebooks made and wrap them up all prettily, the best part was giving it to them.

Do you think God felt that way about gifting us Jesus? I mean, he literally was giving each and every person the one thing they needed most and deserved least. He was holding the best present any of us could ever receive. Can you imagine what that would have felt like? To be the best gifter in existence forever.

So it’s a bit upsetting when we get to this season and all I hear about is a jolly old man. Or to hear people skirt around the subject by saying things like “This is the season of joy and giving. Show your Christmas spirit by giving love to others.” While these phrases are not wrong, they are often what secular society uses to freely celebrate Christmas without celebrating Jesus. If they don’t move the focus to Santa, they move it to people. They make it about us. And in way it is about us. It’s about what God did for us. It’s about an immeasurable love He has for us. It’s about the joy we should feel because of the gift He gave to us. And I am desperately afraid that one year, we will forget that…

Jesus is the reason for the season. Jesus is the reason for Christmas.

Now, I’m not telling you not to buy gifts for your friends and family. Gifting to each other should be a reminder of the great gift we all received. And you can decorate your home and take your social media pictures and get excited about Christmas dinner. I will do all of those things too. But let’s not kid ourselves into thinking that this holiday is about anything other than our Savior Jesus Christ. So if you could spare a single moment among all of the gifting, caroling, and feasting, give thanks to God for sending us Jesus, the greatest gift to ever be gifted.

K.J. 12/19/2020

“For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given,
    and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
Isaiah 9:6 NIV