Surely at some point you will see this popular holiday saying: “Jesus is the reason for the season.” And, of course, that’s absolutely true. We are celebrating our Lord coming to the earth in the form of Christ Jesus. Christ is the reason that we celebrate Christmas.
But why did God make His Word become flesh and dwell among men? What’s the reason for ‘The Reason for the Season’?
John 3:17 – For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
The very act of being born onto this earth was a self-sacrificial act of love to heal a relationship between Himself and people who were his enemies (Rom 5:10). Jesus came to love (John 15:13), heal (Matt 14:14), and forgive (Matt 9:2).
This week we are mindful of ‘The Reason for the Season,’ that being the birth of Christ. However, let’s be especially mindful of the reason for the reason for the season: Reconciliation, love, healing, forgiving. Many of us will spend time over the next few days with family, coworkers, etc. and sometimes these gatherings are tinged with tension or conflict. Remember that if we are celebrating ‘The Reason for the Season,’ then our focus should be the same as Christ’s: reconciling broken relationships, loving those who we see as enemies, healing where there has been hurt, and forgiving no matter what. All of this takes grace upon grace. Grace from God to you and grace from you to others. Even when – especially when – we think they don’t deserve it.
I wish you a very merry Christmas! And that is rooted in the reason for the reason for the season: GRACE!