Why I Celebrate

In the business that the Christmas season brings, I so often fall guilty at forgetting why I really celebrate Christmas. It is so easy for me to take in the baking, the gift buying, and the traditions and forget about everything else. Sometimes, I even get wrapped up in the painful memories that the season has brought since I was a little girl. All of these little excuses though, are just that…excuses to forget the reason I celebrate. As a believer in Christ, Christmas is a crucial part of what I believe. Every aspect of the Christmas story and what it means for me blows my mind; there’s no other way to describe it. Let me explain:

A virgin gave birth to the son of God. In case you didn’t know, that doesn’t just happen every day. Some probably thought she was crazy, others probably labeled her a whore; only a few knew what was really going on. She was told her son was the Messiah, but in the moment of his birth I’m sure she had no clue of his plans because he was just her baby boy who depended on her for all of his needs.

One of my favorite parts was how He came to earth. The Jews were looking for a big political figure to be their Savior. He could have come as a king with all the money and politics included, but he did not. He could have come with the power of a storm or a forest fire taking over the world, but once again he did not. He came to earth as a helpless baby who was born in a barn and placed in a feeding trough. This was birth that had been prophesized about. He was the struggling servant they had heard about and he was here to fulfill these prophesies. The timing for him was perfect. The One who the Jews had been waiting for didn’t just come for them; He came for all peoples, people of every nation and people group. He came in a way so humbling that it’s hard to fathom.

Most importantly, it’s hard to look at this birth without thinking about the cross. This is the boy, the king of the world, grew up and paid the price for me-for everyone. He willingly spread out his hand and was nailed to a cross for us. He was killed in the most gruesome way possible. He saved the world starting from that tiny feeding trough all the way to the cross.

Without this day, all of the other things I believe could never have taken place. It is on this day that the world was utterly changed. He left the throne of God to endure the pain and disgust of this awful place. He did it willingly. He did humbly. He did it perfectly.