Joy

Galatians 4:4-5 (NKJV) 4  But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5  to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

Hebrews 12:2 (NKJV) 2  looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Whenever I think of the incarnation of Jesus Christ, the first thing that captures my attention is the cross, not the babe in the manger.  When I was a child it was all about the manger scene and Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus.  I had no concept of the goal of the incarnation, the salvation of a people so that He might dwell with them and they, worship him (Revelation 21:2-3).

As a child, all the trappings of Christmas were magical and wonderful.  The Christmas Tree, decorations, Christmas cookies, presents under the tree, Christmas carols, Christmas eve service, and yes, even the mythical Santa Clause. Those childhood Christmas experiences were wonderful.  They all served in my mind as well as my family’s, to refocus, celebrate, and worship the King of Kings who came to us in a lowly manger in human flesh.

We were a religious family, and religiously and culturally Christian.  I didn’t have a saving knowledge of Christ. But my religious faith and traditions were vitally important to me and my family.  All of the traditions that surrounded the Christmas season didn’t distract but rather singled out for us the event of the birth of Christ. There truly was a sense and experience of Joy.  I had no knowledge of any pagan influence etc.. It was Christmas, a celebration of the birth of Christ, it could be no other.  There were no outside influences that I could see or feel that would detract me from celebrating the birth of Christ. Frankly, the Christmas decorations, the Christmas lights, and the festive atmosphere, even in the midst of commercialism, had no real effect on my religious understanding of the importance of the birth of Christ.

The at the age of 22, I came to a saving knowledge of Christ in early September.  When the Christmas season came around, all that I had experienced as a child, now had as a born-again believer, gave me a new and deeper understanding from the Scriptures intensifying the Joy of the season.  I spent my first Christmas as a believer, house-sitting,” with the flu, alone for the most part.  But even then, I reveled in worship and celebration over the birth of Christ as I listened to a recording by Jack Van Impe called “The Greatest Story Ever Told.  I listened to it over and over as Jack Van Impe recounted the prophetic Scriptures concerning Christ’s birth and the Cross and Resurrection.  It came alive to me and Christmas took on much greater meaning and joy.

When you read Galatians 4:4-5 you see that “Greatest Story Ever Told,” in miniature. The whole of history was providentially orchestrated so as to accomplish the redemptive story.  Hebrews 12:2 sees the writer of Hebrews firmly focused of Jesus, who “for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross.”

Joy is the default response!  Even in unbelief, much of the world recognizes this celebration. The Christmas “trappings” are not seen as pagan but as religiously Christian.  For the believer, set free from his sin at the cross by the incarnate Christ, it is a wondrously beautiful time of celebration and worship with the complexities of church services, Christmas trees, Christmas family meals and presents. Enjoy it all!  If it had not been for the incarnation, the birth of Christ, there would be  no celebration. It would be just another day in a fallen world with no hope or joy.

Merry Christmas!

Michael Holtzinger

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