C.S. Lewis wrote of a funny experience his brother Warnie had while riding on an English double-decker bus one day during the Christmas season. The bus passed a church with a manger scene outside of it, and Warnie overhead a woman exclaim: “‘Lor’, they’re dragging religion into everything these days: look, they’re even dragging it into Christmas now!”
But celebrating Jesus is not “dragging” religion into Christmas; the true meaning of Christmas is what God did for us in Jesus Christ, the baby in that manger. What did He do? Matthew 1:21 gives us the answer, as the angel told Joseph: “You shall call His name ‘Jesus’, for He will save His people from their sins.”
kAm(92E :D E96 D:8?:7:42?46 @7 E9:D D2J:?8n %96 ?2>6 “y6DFD” W@C “*6D9F2”X >62?D “*29H69 :D D2=G2E:@?[” 2? :?5:42E:@? v@5 H2D D2G:?8 w:D A6@A=6 E9C@F89 w:>] qFE E96 2?86= DA64:7:42==J D2:5 w6 H@F=5 D2G6 w:D A6@A=6 “7C@> E96:C D:?D]” (92E 5@6D E9:D >62?n %96 32D:4 >62?:?8 @7 E96 H@C5 “D:?D” :? |2EE96H `ia` :D “E@ >:DD E96 >2C<” — 3FE ?@E :? E96 H2J >2?J @7 FD H@F=5 E9:?< @7 :Ei =:<6 2? 2C496C[ H9@ H2D ECJ:?8 E@ 9:E E96 C:89E E2C86E[ 3FE ;FDE 4@F=5?’E 5@ :E] }@[ E9:D H@C5 >62?D “E@ >:DD E96 >2C<” @7 E96 DE2?52C5D v@5 D6E 7@C FD C682C5:?8 E96 H2J E92E H6 D9@F=5 =:G6ik^Am
kAmv@5 4@>>2?565 FD E@ =@G6 w:> H:E9 2== @FC 962CED 2?5 D@F=D[ 3FE H6 5:5?’Ej H6 “>:DD65 E96 >2C<[” 2?5 49@D6 E@ =@G6 @E96C E9:?8D :? w:D A=246]k^Am
kAmv@5 4@>>2?565 FD E@ =@G6 @FC ?6:893@CD 2D @FCD6=G6D[ 3FE :?DE625 H6 “>:DD65 E96 >2C<[” 2?5 49@D6 E@ 36 D6=7:D9 2?5 D6=7\46?E6C65 :? @FC 564:D:@?D]k^Am
kAm(6 4@F=5 8@ 5@H? E96 =:DE @7 2== E96 4@>>2?5>6?ED[ 2?5 D66 H6 92G6 2== 4@?E:?F2==J 72==6? D9@CE @7 E96>] #@>2?D biab DF>>2C:K6D E9:D H96? :E D2JDi “u@C 2== 92G6 D:??65 2?5 72== D9@CE @7 E96 8=@CJ @7 v@5]”k^Am
kAmp?5 3642FD6 H6 92G6 D:??65[ H6 >FDE A2J E96 A6?2=EJ 7@C @FC D:?D] ~?6 @7 E96 4=62C6DE[ >@DE 4@?D:DE6?E >6DD286D @7 E96 q:3=6 :D E96C6 2C6 4@?D6BF6?46D 7@C @FC D:?Dik^Am
kAmv@5 E@=5 p52> 2?5 tG6 C682C5:?8 E96 %C66 @7 E96 z?@H=6586 @7 v@@5 2?5 tG:=[ “%96 52J J@F 62E 7C@> :E[ J@F D92== DFC6=J 5:6]” Wv6?6D:D ai`fXk^Am
kAm“%96 H286D @7 D:? :D 562E9]” #@>2?D eiab D2JD]k^Am
kAmtA96D:2?D die[ DA62<:?8 @7 D:?D[ D2JD[ “3642FD6 @7 E96D6 E9:?8D[ E96 HC2E9 @7 v@5 C:89E=J 4@>6D FA@? E96 D@?D @7 5:D@365:6?46]”k^Am
kAmqFE E96 q:3=6 E6==D FD 96C6 E92E y6DFD 42>6 “E@ D2G6 w:D A6@A=6 7C@> E96:C D:?D]” %96 323J y6DFD 8C6H FA E@ 5:6 @? E96 4C@DD 2D E96 D24C:7:46 H9:49 A2:5 E96 A6?2=EJ 7@C @FC D:?D] x !6E6C aiac D2JD “w6 w:>D6=7 3@C6 @FC D:?D :? w:D 3@5J @? E96 4C@DD]” y6DFD A2:5 E96 A6?2=EJ 7@C @FC D:?D D@ E92E H6 4@F=5 36 C64@?4:=65 324< E@ v@5]k^Am
kAmp 76H J62CD 28@[ E96C6 H2D 2 ;F586 :? vC62E qC:E2:? H9@ 925 2 9@>6=6DD >2? 367@C6 9:D 4@FCE @? 2 492C86 @7 DE62=:?8 EH@ r9C:DE>2D 42C5D] %96 >2? 925 4=62C=J DE@=6? E96>j 96 H2D 8F:=EJ] %96 ;F586 H2D 4@>A6==65 E@ 36 ;FDE 2?5 FA9@=5 E96 =2H] qFE 96 2=D@ 76=E 4@>A2DD:@? 7@C E96 A6??:=6DD[ 9@>6=6DD >2?] $@ 27E6C 7:?5:?8 E96 >2? 8F:=EJ[ E96 ;F586 E96? C624965 :?E@ 9:D @H? A@4<6E 2?5 E@@< @FE E96 >@?6J E92E H2D C6BF:C65[ 2?5 A2:5 E96 >2?’D 7:?6 7@C 9:>]k^Am
kAm%9:D :D H92E E96 v@5 @7 E96 &?:G6CD6 92D 5@?6 7@C FD] w6 :D 2 ;FDE ;F586 H9@ 4@F=5 3J ?@ >62?D ;FDE :8?@C6 @FC D:?D] qFE w6 2=D@ =@G65 FD 2?5 H2?E65 E@ 7@C8:G6 @FC D:?D] $@ w6 >256 E96 @?=J A2J>6?E E92E H@F=5 DF77:46 E@ 2E@?6 7@C E96>i 2 A2J>6?E H9:49 @?=J w6 4@F=5 >2<6[ 3J 5J:?8 @? E96 4C@DD 7@C @FC D:?D] p?5 H96? w6 5:5[ w6 4@>A=6E6=J A2:5 E96 A6?2=EJ 7@C @FC D:?D] (96? y6DFD 5:65 @? E96 4C@DD[ w6 4C:65 @FE[ “xE :D 7:?:D965” — :? E96 @C:8:?2= q:3=6 =2?8F286 2 4@>>6C4:2= 6IAC6DD:@? H9:49 >62?D E92E 2 563E H2D “A2:5 :? 7F==]” y6DFD H2D 564=2C:?8 E92E E96 A6?2=EJ 7@C @FC D:?D H2D A2:5 :? 7F== 3J w:D 562E9 @? E96 4C@DD]k^Am
kAm|2?J A6@A=6 E9:?< @7 C6=:8:@? 2D 5@:?8 6?@F89 8@@5 C6=:8:@FD 5665D E@ >2<6 J@FCD6=7 C:89E H:E9 v@5]%96 AC@3=6> :D[ E96 q:3=6 E6==D FD H6 42? ?6G6C 5@ 6?@F89 8@@5 H@C<D E@ D2G6 @FCD6=G6D] x?DE625[ :E E62496D E92E D2=G2E:@? :D 2 8:7E 3@F89E 3J y6DFD 7@C FD @? E96 4C@DD] x7 J@F H:== C6A6?E @7 J@FC D:?D 2?5 C646:G6 y6DFD 2D J@FC {@C5 2?5 $2G:@C[ J@F 42? 36 >256 C:89E H:E9 v@5 — ?@E 3642FD6 @7 E96 8@@5 5665D J@F 92G6 5@?6[ 3FE 3J H92E w6 5:5 7@C J@F @? E96 4C@DD]k^Am
kAmx H2D :? 2 C6DE2FC2?E H:E9 >J H:76 r96CJ= @?6 E:>6[ 2?5 H96? H6 H6C6 23@FE E@ =62G6[ x =@@<65 2C@F?5 2?5 5:5?’E D66 2 4964<[ D@ x 2D<65 E96 H2:E6C 7@C :E] w6 D2:5 :E 92D 2=C625J 366? E2<6? 42C6 @7] x 2D<65[ H92E 5@ J@F >62?n w6 D2:5[ D@>6@?6 6=D6 92D 2=C625J A2:5 E96 3:==] $@ H6 4@F=5 H2=< @FE @7 E92E C6DE2FC2?E — 7F==J ;FDE:7:65 :? 5@:?8 D@ — 3642FD6 E96 AC:46 925 366? A2:5 7@C FD] %96C6 H2D ?@ ?665 7@C >6 E@ AF== @FE >J H2==6E[ 2?5 86E D@>6 42D9 @C 2 4C65:E 42C5[ @C E@ @776C E@ 5@ E96 5:D96D @C 2?JE9:?8 6=D6] %92E H@F=5 92G6 366? E@E2==J F??646DD2CJ @? >J A2CE[ 3642FD6 E96 AC:46 925 2=C625J 366? A2:5]k^Am
kAm%9:D :D 9@H :E :D H:E9 FD 2?5 v@5] *@F 5@?’E 92G6 E@ ECJ E@ A6C7@C> 2 >F=E:EF56 @7 C6=:8:@FD H@C<D E@ 2E@?6 7@C 2== @7 J@FC D:?D 2?5 >2<6 J@F C:89E H:E9 v@5] y6DFD 92D 2=C625J A2:5 E96 AC:46] x7 J@F H:== C6A6?E @7 J@FC D:?D 2?5 C646:G6 w:D D24C:7:46[ w6 H:== “D2G6 J@F 7C@> J@FC D:?D” 2?5 >2<6 J@F C:89E H:E9 v@5] #@>2?D gi` D2JDi “%96C6 :D E96C67@C6 ?@H ?@ 4@?56>?2E:@? 7@C E9@D6 H9@ 2C6 :? r9C:DE y6DFD]” y6DFD 42>6 E@ A2J E96 A6?2=EJ 7@C @FC D:?D] x7 J@F H:== ECFDE w:> 2D J@FC {@C5 2?5 $2G:@C[ E96? J@F 42? D2J H:E9 E96 @=5 9J>?ik^Am
kAmk6>m“|J D:?[ @ E96 3=:DD @7 E9:D 8=@C:@FD E9@F89Ejk^6>mk^Am
kAmk6>m>J D:? ?@E :? A2CE 3FE E96 H9@=6[k^6>mk^Am
kAmk6>mxD ?2:=65 E@ E96 4C@DD[ 2?5 x 362C :E ?@ >@C6Pk^6>mk^Am
kAmk6>m!C2:D6 E96 {@C5[ !C2:D6 E96 {@C5[ ~ >J D@F=P”k^6>mk^Am
kAm%9:D :D H92E H6 46=63C2E6 E9:D r9C:DE>2D D62D@?i E92E y6DFD 42>6 E@ “D2G6 w:D A6@A=6 7C@> E96:C D:?D]”k^Am
Shawn Thomas is pastor of First Baptist Church in Angleton. Contact him at pastor@fbcangleton.com.
(0) entries
Sign the guestbook.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.