“The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and He will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”—Luke 1:32-33
I saw the first Christmas merchandise in August.
By now, houses are lit up, giant inflatable snowmen, cartoon figures, and traditional nativity scenes adorn lawns. Christmas trees on top of cars are carried home to be lit and decorated. The malls and stores are decked out—though the parking lots are not as full. Most people are shopping online in this COVID era. But advertisers still work overtime to entice us to spend money. Christmas music is in the air.
It truly is a beautiful time of the year—even in this difficult season.
Madeleine L’Engle wrote, “In the mystery of the Word made Flesh, the Maker of the stars was born.”1
I don’t want to miss what that means.
On the first Christmas, the night Jesus was born in a manger in Bethlehem, the night was largely missed.
There were no reindeer, Christmas carols, bright lights, or wrapped presents. Children didn’t have trouble sleeping.
It was a night like any other night.
Except it wasn’t.
All the signs and signals had been there for centuries. The prophets declared a Savior, the Messiah, would come. They prophesied that he would be born of a virgin in the tiny town of Bethlehem. He would be from the tribe of Judah, the family of King David.
That holy night, shepherds out in the nearby fields witnessed a heavenly host of angels glorifying God. First, the shepherds were terrified, then they rejoiced. They saw it!
But most people missed the signs and the significance of that night.
It’s easy to do. While many people celebrate Christmas, many of us, including believers, are so busy that we miss the Person who came to change our world and our lives. We miss the love and comfort He came to bring.
Stop, breathe, and take some time today to contemplate what really happened that night. “The Maker of the stars was born.”
Don’t miss Christmas.
1. Madeleine L’Engle, First Coming, from The Ordering of Love, (Convergent Books, 2009).
