What is the True Meaning of Christmas? | Jesus Is More Than a Baby

Wednesday, November 30, 2016
what-is-the-real-meaning-of-christmas?

Christmas is about more than traditions. Christmas is about Jesus coming down to earth, chasing after us, and providing us with exactly what we needed. Christmas is about more than just a baby - Christmas is about sacrifice, love, and joy. Though we do celebrate the birth of Christ at Christmas, we are also celebrating the sacrifice Jesus made to save us from our sins. Christmas is about all that Jesus has done, not just His birth.

I've been having so much fun lately with the Christmas lights, the happy overload of both Christmas cookies and Christmas music, and the wonderfully bad, low-budget Christmas movies. I am officially in Kristin-Christmas-Tradition-Heaven.

It's such a great feeling to truly enjoy all of the holiday scents, tastes, noises, and sights. I get warm-fuzzies every time I think about it. And even though I'm thankful for those things, at some point, the warm-fuzzies have to take a backseat, because at the core what we really need is a deep reflection on the true meaning of Christmas.

It is entirely possible to embrace tradition and reflect on the deeper things of life at the same time. In my pondering and celebrating the real meaning of Christmas, I will still be eating just as many cookies, singing just as many songs, and watching just as many Christmas movies. But while doing this, I will make sure that the more important things in life come first and are not replaced by the things that matter much less.


what-is-the-real-meaning-of-christmas


Jesus Is the Reason for the Season | What Does That Really Mean?

It's true that Jesus is the reason for the season. But I'm sure you've heard that phrase a million times and you may be thinking, "Yeah, but what does that really mean?"

The story of Jesus' birth is found in Luke 2 in the Bible. If you've never read it, or you need a refresher, you can read it here.

A lot of people "know" that Christmas is about Jesus - a little baby who was called the son of God, and born in a stable. Great. But many people don't go past that.

The thing is though, it's when you go past the basics that you truly begin to understand the meaning of Christmas. Go past the fact that Jesus was born to a young girl who had never had sex. Go past what you know about wise men, bright stars, and a feeding trough for a bed. Then you will start to see the point of this beautiful holiday season!

Guilt and Love | Why Jesus Came

From the very beginning of our lives, we are sinful people. We aren't innocent. We aren't good enough. We make mistakes every day that pull us further and further away from God.

But since God loves us, He wanted to bring us back to Him. However, He is a holy God and He couldn't just act like our sin was acceptable - because it's not. He needed a perfect person to take the punishment we deserved: death and eternal separation from God.

God knew that if He didn't step in, our sin would keep us from Him, from His love, and from experiencing his goodness and glory for all of eternity. But thankfully, our God isn't helpless. Our God wasn't scrambling around trying to figure out what to do. He already had a plan. He already had the perfect solution to our soul-devouring sin. He had His Son.


Christmas-is-about-God's-goodness


Complete Perfection | Jesus Is the Perfect Response to Sin

As baby Jesus grew up, He never sinned. He was human, and yet He was God at the very same time. He stood firm against the sins that we give into. He was the only perfect person.

So when the Jews decided to kill Jesus, they were killing a perfect, spotless man.

God planned the death of Jesus as a sacrifice for all sin. Jesus took our death sentence and He served it Himself. Since Jesus is God in the flesh, He was actually able to defeat the death sentence He was serving for us.

Death, which was meant to be an irreversible and final event, was defeated and conquered. It was for us. It was for me. And it was for you.

We no longer have to pay the penalty of sin - Jesus already did.

God did all of the work. The only thing He requires of us is that we believe and trust in Jesus as the savior - that His death paid the full penalty of our sins just like God said it did. All we have to do is trust in Jesus and His blood as the saving grace we desperately need.

That is the gospel in a nutshell, and the gospel is what Christmas is all about.

It's not about how many wise men went to see Jesus when He was born. It's not even about the fact that Jesus' mom was a virgin (though that is important). Christmas is about a Savior - the only Savior - who came to live, die, and defeat death for us. Christmas is about God's goodness, despite our utter and constant failure. Christmas is about the cross.


Mary-did-you-know-that-your-baby-boy-has-come-to-make-you-new?

Check Your Response | Is Your Heart Focused on Christ?

Christmas is a humbling experience. I don't like being told that I am a sinner, but I know it's true.

I look out for myself instead of others. I care far too much about my weight, my curves, my personality, and other people's opinions. I try to appear better than I actually am. I complain about nearly everything that doesn't go my way.

And chances are, you do the same things, because you are a sinner too. You and I are imperfect people, in need of a Savior.

So check your response. Don't be mad that God confronts you and your sin. Instead, be thankful that you don't have to serve your death sentence. Accept Jesus as the Savior He is. Spend Christmas with new-found joy that you don't have to be handcuffed to your sin anymore.

Christmas is about praising God because He gave us what we needed. God is love. That is what Christmas is really about!


What Is Christmas Really About?


  • Christmas is about sin
  • Christmas is about death
  • Christmas is about redemption and salvation
  • Christmas is about God's love for us
  • Christmas is about God's glory
  • Christmas is about the sacrifice Jesus made for us
  • Christmas is about God













Christmas is about redemption and grace- not just a baby in a manger. #christmas #faith #christianity

45 comments

  1. This is so true. I get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of the holidays that I forget that Jesus is the reason for the season. Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This is so easy to do, Greta! You are not alone. Just something we all need to improve upon :)

      Delete
  2. I love Christmas time so much. To me it is a time of joy and happiness.

    xoxo, Jenny

    ReplyDelete
  3. My parents always make it a point to remind us the real reason for the season. I hope to pass this on to my kids when I have them.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Beautiful post! I think sometimes we tend to forget what Christmas is truly about and get caught up in the glitz and glamour. I'll be honest when I say that I have been guilty for that. Thank you for the wonderful reminder.

    ReplyDelete
  5. It's such a special time, and so important to remember the reason behind it!

    ReplyDelete
  6. This was a great read! I know I am often guilty of forgetting the real reason why we celebrate Christmas and I know a lot of others do to. It's easy to get caught up with all the decorating and shopping. My dad always reads the story of Jesus' birth before we open presents on Christmas. It's a great reminder.

    ReplyDelete
  7. My first-ever Christmas in Malaysia, the Christmas performance at church was about the crucifixion and resurrection. As a 13 year old at the time, I thought that was strange, but over the years, I've come to love that--we celebrate Christmas because of the cross--sacrifice was the whole reason Jesus came!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That is so cool! I love that you had that experience! But I can totally understand it seeming strange at that age. It is so beautiful when we see people celebrating Christmas the way it was intended <3

      Delete
  8. I once had a pastor say, "I don't serve a baby in a manger; I serve a King on a throne." Christmas is 100% about the cross, and I just love this post! Beautiful job, Kristin!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much, Abbey! And yes, that is a great quote from that pastor! I like it a lot!

      Delete
  9. I dont know why but the word sinner just sounds so judgmental and dirty to me. I prefer to think we are flaws and have made mistakes, but they don't define us. The word sinner sounds too much like a definition of a person.

    Rachel | The Confused Millennial

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I totally get what you are saying. The thing about Christianity is that if we don't see that we are sinners (or flawed) there's really no reason for Jesus to come and die for us.
      Sin only means we aren't perfect, and since God is perfect we need someone to cover our flaws-and in comes Jesus.
      So when I say "sinner", I simply mean we do bad things. It's not a judgement from me. It's just what I believe about the human condition as a whole. Does that make sense?
      And honestly, I believe my sin IS dirty. But in the very same moment, they DON'T define me because God provided forgiveness for me.
      :) So even though I think I am worthy of judgement, I also know that my loving God covered my butt. Hopefully that makes more sense- because I definitely was not point my finger at you (or anyone) saying "You stupid, evil person!". haha. Hopefully it didn't come across in that light.

      Delete
    2. Yeah I get it and know all of that (and love your disclaimer at the end! I didn't think you were! haha). I just never could get behind it all. When I was little my best friend was actually Southern Baptist and I would go to hebrew school saturday and church and sunday school with her most weekends. I just never could get into the language/belief system of Christianity despite the fact I LOVED going to church. I see how many people feel judged or repressed by their religions language and it breaks my heart. It's cool that you call Him your loving God - I still believe in a loving God too, i just have had a very different experience/relationship with with my faith and have a hard time seeing the Christian God as a loving God for my person and my family and many of my friends.

      Delete
    3. Yeah, I can understand that. I do believe that any appearance of God not being loving is false, but I still get where you are coming from.
      How interesting that you still enjoyed going to church with her!

      Delete
  10. I love all the fluffy stuff of Christmas too, but yes!! That last line before the quote from Mary, Did You Know? (I'm assuming that's the song, at least) is so true!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh don't get me wrong- I LOVE FLUFF!!!! haha. Yes, it was the song <3

      Delete
  11. What a great reminder. It's so easy to get caught up in the stress of the season, but we need to remember why we celebrate to begin with.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Love this! My favorite Christmas song is 'Born in Bethlehem.' It says, 'Baby Jesus, do You know You'll die for all our sins? Don't be afraid for in three days You will rise again. Hallelujah, the King is here. Given for all men. For today the holy son of God Is born in Bethlehem,'
    It's so good and I feel like it fits your post perfectly.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Its always good to stop and remember the reason for Christmas and the good things other than material

    ReplyDelete
  14. Such a great reminder of the importance of this season. Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  15. I'm sometimes guilty of overlooking what the true meaning of Christmas is, especially amidst all the holiday sales. Thank you for reminding me WHO is the center of this season, and be grateful just to be surrounded by the people we love.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think we are all guilty of that sometimes. But we can always start again and refocus :)

      Delete
  16. Great reminders! Definitely need to think about these things more throughout the holiday season - it's so easy to get caught up in everything! Thanks for sharing :)

    Sarah Bell
    Trendy & Tidy

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It really is so easy to sweep it under the rug unintentionally!

      Delete
  17. It's so easy to get caught up in the commercial hype that is thrown at us during the Christmas season. We are by far not perfect and this post was beautiful! You are a wonderful witness to the truth!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Love this, thank you for sharing the scriptures with us. Mary did you know if my fave!

    ReplyDelete
  19. im not really a very religious person but this was interesting to read! I didn't know much about the real reason for Christmas...

    -Stefanie
    http://www.thestylesafari.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So glad you took the time to read. I know it can be an interesting concept if you are not used to it, but I appreciate you reading and giving it a chance.

      Delete
  20. Some people do not like to be told they are sinners. It's okay though because we all sin. This is a great reminder of what the holiday season is all about. Don't get me wrong everything else is great and fun about the holidays but we need to remember the real reason behind Christmas. Love this!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah. It's true. Many people do not like that. And I get it. I wouldn't like it very much either if I didn't know Jesus.
      Thank you for reading and I am so glad you enjoyed it, Mistle!

      Delete
  21. I love Christmas and I view it as one big birthday party for Jesus.

    ReplyDelete
  22. This is wonderful! The most important response is belief. Belief that He is God and that HE came to die for our disobedience. We can never live a perfect life, but His goodness and righteousness covers our flawed nature, transgressions, if we ultimately believe (trust) Him to remove them, HE will - as far as the East is from the West.

    His shed blood at Calvary covers our sins ( and yes, they are sins) - because we fall short of the glory of God. There is no imperfection allowed in Heaven, but because of Calvary and what HE did for us there, when we do trust Him as saviour, HE can no longer see our sins, and that makes us "good enough" for heaven!

    WOOOO HOOOO!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  23. I am not a very religious person but this was beautiful! Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  24. THIS year more than any in the past, I have really tried to stay focused on the "why" of Christmas. Peel away all the glitz and feel good, and just rest in the why? It has really been wonderful; and humbling. Yes, we can celebrate with all of the traditional trappings of the season, but ultimately, we have to come back to our desperate need of the cross, and God's unfathomable love. If not, it is all a waste. Thanks for this, and Merry Christmas

    ReplyDelete