Why I Celebrate Christ, and I Don't 'Do Christmas'

Throughout this time of year I am asked the question: So, are you ready for Christmas?

My response is always the same: I'm always ready for Christmas.

I usually get a strange look and those who know me will add, 'Oh, that's right. You don't do Christmas.'

I am sometimes asked why. I am sometimes asked if I celebrate Christmas. I am not sure my answer is always the best one. It is, after all, difficult to some up my reasons for not 'doing' Christmas to just a few sentences. So here is the long of it.

Christmas.  CHRISTmas. It's about Jesus' birth. Not giving. Not generosity. Not kindness or goodness. Not family or friends. Not parties or presents.

It's about Jesus. His birth. His coming into our world. Contrary to popular belief, Jesus is not the reason for the season. He is the reason for EVERYTHING.

'For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.'  Colossians 1:16-17

Perhaps this is where our misunderstanding of Christmas begins. We misunderstand Christ. We misunderstand His reason for coming.

Jesus said, 'for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.' (Luke 19:30)

Jesus said, 'What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying? And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.' (Matthew 17:12-14

Jesus said, 'I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.' (John 10:10)

No wonder the angels burst into song when Jesus was born. Do you understand what had just happened that day? Do you get it? Salvation had come. The way to heaven, the way to restored relationship with God, the end to disease and death, the beginning of new life had come. The angels rejoiced. They began to speak the message.

'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!' (Luke 2:14)

See, God had decided to send His peace to earth. He decided to pour out His goodwill upon mankind. You need to wrap your head around this. It was better than winning the lottery. It was better than receiving a brand new car for free. It was more than a child born in a manger. It was more than a heavenly visitation. It was a heavenly occupation. A heavenly invasion. A heavenly transformation. Brought to earth to deliver us! From sin. From death. From disease. From destruction. The angels sang!

And we give presents? And we eat pie? And we decorate? And we sing songs of the coming of someone who bestows earthly gifts upon us if we were good all year?

Some say that the giving of presents represents God's gift of Jesus to us. Or they say that since Jesus is in heaven, we give gifts in His honor to each other. They give gifts to represent the wise men that gave gifts to Jesus. But is that really the message of Christ? We teach about Santa, who gives gifts to all the good children. Do we realize that the story of Santa is in opposition to the Word of God? 

The message of Christ is not that we get good things if we behave. It is that He came to die BECAUSE WE MISBEHAVE. We curse and we sin and we carry on.... and He loves us anyway.

I believe that Christmas is a reminder that God decided to save me. He, one day, long ago, decided to offer His own Son's life to save me from sin and death. And for that I honor Christ by not giving gifts to others, but by giving my own life to Christ.

'For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.'  (2 Corinthians 5:14-15)

It means so much more to honor God by giving your life to Him. How can we say that we celebrate CHRISTmas when we only give gifts on that one day? How can we say we celebrate CHRISTmas when we seek the 'spirit of giving' only on one day? How can we say we celebrate CHRISTmas when we desire to receive, receive, receive?

So, how do I celebrate Christmas?

I give. My life. Everyday. To Jesus.

Jesus said, 'If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me." (Matthew 16:24)

Christmas is about God giving us the ability to live! It means, that from that day forward, there would be opportunity for you and me to live and have joy and peace. It means that our troubles now have meaning and purpose. It means that God cared. It means that God loves. It means that He didn't want to leave us wandering around in darkness.

So we ought to give our lives every day to Him. Our entire life should be filled with generosity. It should be filled with the sharing of life with others. Real LIFE. The life Jesus bought and paid for. It means that because God paid such a high price for my life, I should not squander it by getting wrapped up in the getting and giving of the riches of this world.

And so I don't give gifts on Christmas. I don't celebrate Santa. I don't desire to receive anything from anyone. 

But I live for Christ.... everyday.
I pray.... everyday.
I give.... everyday.
I praise Him.... everyday.
I worship Him.... everyday.
I thank Him.... everyday.
I seek to please Him and make my life purposeful for Him... everyday.

No, I don't 'do Christmas.' Because Christmas isn't 'done' it's believed in. Its cherished. Its incorporated into every part of your life. It's Christ received into your heart and your life and every fiber of your being. And it is meant to be lived out everyday.

I asked myself a few years ago, when I stopped 'doing' Christmas. 'What would Christmas be like if you didn't get gifts? If you didn't give gifts? If there was no tree or holiday trim?' 

I felt disappointed. Like something would be missing. Like it wouldn't be Christmas. And God spoke to my heart...

'Is that really what you think I meant by sending my Son to you?'

I realized that I had replaced God's heavenly gift with earthly treasure.

That's why I celebrate Christ and I don't 'do Christmas'

The Gift

The gift of God was not a child wrapped in swaddling clothes. That image belittles the work of our Savior.

No, the gift of God was Himself wrapped in human flesh waiting to be torn open to reveal the most precious gift of all, LIFE.

It's not a pretty picture. We like the wrapping paper too much. It's too pretty and perfect. Yet, the gift that is Christ must be torn open. We must accept the tearing if His flesh to find the gift hidden inside. We cannot carefully remove the tape to save the paper. It is seamless. It is perfect. But it must be torn. It won't come off any other way.

To receive the gift of life, we must tear the Lifebringer. And just when we thought we discarded the wrapping, He appears anew. In all His glory to share the life that He paid for. You see, the gift He gives you is meant to be shared with Him. The life He offers belongs to both of you. It's why He came back. For what is life without Him. You think He was torn to give you independence? No my friend, He was torn to give you freedom from sin and life to be shared.

Your gift can be multiplied and given away. Yet, your box will never be empty. He will always replenish the life He paid for. It is a never ending flow. The miracle is that His one life torn apart allows you to give life without being torn apart. He paid the price so you can live and so you can give.

Perhaps it is time to take that gift that has been sitting for far too long. It's perfect paper and beautifully wrapping begs to be torn open to reveal His gift to you.

For by grace you have been saved  through faith, and that not of yourselves;  it is  the gift of God, (Ephesians 2:8 NKJV)