Christmas

Though our culture has made Christmas into a combination of busyness, shopping, parties, Santa and traditions, as Christians the way in which we (should) view Christmas is much more profound. Christmas marks the beginning of a love story.

The Creator of all that is miraculously conceived a child within the womb of a girl named Mary. He did so in according to His promises, and from that point forward everything within the Christmas story is exactly in accordance to His will and Word. The Christ child was born, grew into a man, ministered to many, and died a brutal and unjust death to raise again three days later. Jesus Christ did all of this to atone our sins, as we are born sinners and without His pardon we would die sinners; separate from God.

As a mother now, I can't help but ponder the mind of Mary in an entirely new way. I can't imagine knowing that I was going to give birth to the Savior of the world, even though I was not married and had not been with a man before. I cannot imagine the fear I would feel living in a culture that could easily kill me for becoming pregnant outside of wedlock. I cannot imagine watching my darling son, whom toddled into my arms, learned to form words and whom I rocked to sleep grow into a man who did miraculous things within His ministry. Lastly, I cannot imagine watching my darling son be unjustly slaughtered in a demeaning and cruel manner. I cannot imagine.

As we celebrate Christmas, let us keep in mind the entire story, from beginning to end. We are not simply celebrating a birth, but a death, resurrection and atonement. After all, without Christmas there would be no Easter, no salvation, no hope.