Is It Wrong to Have a Beautiful Christmas Celebration?

Christmas is a beautiful moment eagerly awaited by all Christians. The moment when Jesus, our Savior, came into the world is truly worthy of celebration. If Jesus had never come, perhaps we would never have had the opportunity to be saved.

Sadly, Christmas is often celebrated as nothing more than tradition. Many of us are busy preparing the celebration, perhaps even for months in advance, to showcase the festive beauty of Christmas Eve. Christmas trees with glittering lights, snow-themed cottages, lavish parties, delicious cakes, cheerful music, piles of Christmas gifts, and of course, Santa Claus with his reindeer sleigh, this euphoria can easily lull us into forgetting the true essence of Christmas. 

Without realizing it, all the bustle and festivity have turned our attention away from the meaning of the first Christmas. So then, is a beautiful Christmas celebration wrong? What is the true meaning of Christmas?

The First Christmas Could Hardly Be Called “Very Beautiful”

This does not mean that Jesus' birth should not be seen as a beautiful moment. The presence of the baby Jesus in the world was, of course, a beautiful and truly noble event. Yet if we read the Bible carefully, we know that Christmas was not an elegant event for Joseph, Mary, and especially for Jesus Himself.

Let us imagine for a moment the time of Jesus' birth. Mary and Joseph lived in Nazareth. At the same time, Caesar Augustus ordered a census, so this couple had to return to their own town, Bethlehem. The distance from Nazareth to Bethlehem is about 120 km or about 80 miles. With Mary in the final stage of pregnancy, it would have taken them at least 4-7 days to cover that distance. And this certainly was not comfortable for Mary.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, --because he belonged to the house and line of David--to register with Mary, his betrothed, who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for Mary to give birth, and she gave birth to a son, her firstborn, then she wrapped him in cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. – Luke 2:4-7 

For Mary herself, this was certainly not an ideal place to give birth. And even more so for Jesus, who is the King of all kings. Jesus was born in a manger, not in a house, much less in a hospital. It says that there was no place for Mary and Joseph in the inn.

How ironic that Jesus, the Owner of the World, was not given a proper place for His own birth.  Just imagining the Almighty God coming down to earth, becoming human, and dwelling with His creation is already difficult to comprehend. Even more so, He was born in a manger, in a sheepfold, a place far from fitting for a Lord to be born.

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God, who always gives and never lacks anything, now had to depend on a young mother to provide Him with food.

God, who always protects, now needed the protection of an inexperienced father.

He, who is so strong, now became fragile and helpless in the form of a baby. 

God, the Owner of the Universe, was willing to leave His throne and royal majesty to be born in a sheepfold.

He who was invisible became visible. 

The eternal God became limited. 

He, the Creator, became a creature. 

He is God who became man. 

Why did God do all this? For no other reason than to save you and me. 

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich. – 2 Corinthians 8:9 

Red Christmas: The Meaning of the Color Red at Christmas

We often see Christmas ornaments in shades of red, from Santa's costume, Christmas tree decorations, room decor, to gift wrap. Have you ever asked yourself, why red? Does that color symbolize a celebration that is festive, beautiful, and joyful?

On the contrary, when we see the color red, we are reminded again that Jesus came into the world to die. Thirty-three years later, the baby wrapped in swaddling cloths was wrapped in a burial shroud. He died on the cross, bearing the curse that should have been ours.

“If someone commits a sin deserving death and is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, then you must not leave his body hanging on the tree overnight, but you must bury him that same day, for anyone who is hanged is under God's curse; you must not defile the land that the LORD your God is giving you as your inheritance.” – Deuteronomy 21:22-23 

The True Christmas 

Like a shoot he grew up before the LORD, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. 

He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering; so despised was he that others hid their faces from him, and we did not esteem him. 

Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken, struck down and afflicted by God. 

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. 

– Isaiah 53:2-5 

This is the true meaning of Christmas. For us, as human beings, the coming of Jesus is certainly a beautiful moment. But in truth, Christmas was the beginning of suffering for the Lord, because He knew that He was born to lose His life in a tragic way, for people who might not even receive Him.

How Do You Celebrate Christmas?

After learning the true meaning of Christmas, you will surely celebrate it differently. So, is it wrong if we rejoice and celebrate Christmas with great festivity? Of course not. The coming of Jesus is a blessing of immeasurable worth. Without the birth of Jesus, our faith today would be in vain.

Then He took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body, which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” – Luke 22:19 

Today, as we celebrate Christmas, remember also the death of Jesus. Reflect again on the reason He came into the world. If we understand this, we will surely celebrate Christmas differently. 

As Christmas approaches, let us take time to reflect on and answer these questions:

1. How has my relationship with God been so far? How deeply do I know and love the One who sacrificed His life so that I could have eternal life?
2. How have I been living my life all this time? Am I still living to satisfy the desires of my flesh? Or am I living for Christ, who by His love has forgiven and cleansed me from all sin (Isaiah 1:18)?
3. What have I given to God as a sign of gratitude? Does my life please Him? Does the way I live make God smile? Or do I grieve His heart, crucifying Him again and again through my attitudes and actions?

It is all right if you feel you are not yet perfect; now is the right time to make things right. Do not waste the offer of salvation and eternal life with God in heaven. Pursue that salvation by receiving His love, living righteously before Him, and sharing our love with others.

Christmas is a beautiful moment, indeed. But do not let Christmas pass as merely an annual holiday, and do not be so carried away by its festivity that we forget its true meaning. Christmas is the right time to evaluate our lives and give thanks for all that God has done for us. May this Christmas be a different Christmas for you! Merry Christmas!

Adapted and developed from:
www.crosswalk.com/special-coverage/christmas-and-advent/have-we-made-christmas-too-beautiful.html

References:

www.catholicireland.net/nazareth-to-bethlehem/

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