by Danny Woodall

dannywoodall@yahoo.com

    And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. (Luke 2:13-15)

    The Nativity Scenes remind us of the first Christmas, but now over two thousand years later Christmas has changed. Instead of the shepherds and a heavenly choir of angels, we have Santa and his reindeer. The phrase Jesus is the reason for the season, has become something we repeat in order to soothe our weary souls. The sights and sounds of the first Christmas seem lost on the Judean hills, replaced by the mad rush of Yuletide cheer. Now commercials and sales ads herald in the season. Still we can capture the true spirit of Christmas by doing three things that happened on the first Christmas. We can worship Christ, do something for Christ, and tell others about Christ. If we do these things, we will keep Christ in Christmas.

    First of all, we need to remember to worship Christ. Jesus was more than God in a human mask. The Babe of Bethlehem was fully God and fully human in order to pay our debt of sin in full. The day before He entered Mary's womb, He worshipped by angels, in Heaven. Nine months later, angels gathered to worship Christ on earth. Shepherds joined in the worship service. They celebrated the fact that Christ came to earth in the form of a man, and entered our world. God became flesh. We can worship Christ this year by attending a Christmas Eve service, or one of the many Christmas plays. 

    Second, we should do something for Christ. Though they arrive latter on the scene, the wise men brought gifts to the new born king. One way to celebrate Christmas is to have your own version of the Twelve Days of Christmas. Pick a family, and on December 14th, send this family an anonymous note telling them they are your Christmas family. Then each day, send them a small gift, or card. During this time arrange for a visit on Christmas Day. I have been involved with this several times, and each time I get a new perspective of Christmas. This is one way we can share in the excitement that the shepherds and the wise men had on the first Christmas.

    Third, we should tell others about Christ. When we see the true wonder of Christmas, we want to share with others. Singing Christmas carols at nursing homes or on the lawn of shut-ins is one way we can share the joy of Christmas with those who are not able to go to church. Many times during Christmas my in-laws, will invite a friend who doesn’t have any relatives close by to share the holidays. Christmas is a joyful occasion, so share the joy.

    The shepherds could have come up with excuses not to go to Bethlehem, and they would've missed out on the experience of a lifetime. Instead of letting this time of the year wear us down on the holiday treadmill, Christmas should stir us to action. This Christmas, worship Christ, do something for Christ, and tells other about Christ, by doing these things, the sounds of the first Christmas on Judean hillside will echo across the twenty-first century.

Copyright Danny Woodall