Christmas Explained

If an alien from another planet showed up today and asked you to explain what you celebrated yesterday for Christmas, what would you tell him?

Would you say that Christmas is about Santa Claus, sleigh rides, silver bells, lights, presents, going to grandma’s house and getting what you want under the tree? --NOT!

Now hold on just a minute! Isn’t that what everybody gets excited about?

Yes, but those things are just traditions that were somehow attached to the celebration. Now that all the hoopla is over, this favorite holiday deserves a closer look. To understand what really happened on the first Christmas, think with me for a moment about a man who liked ants.

A naturalist once studied an ant colony. He was amazed by the way the ants worked together. Over the days and weeks the anthill grew along with the man’s fascination.

Soon the man developed a concern and then a love for the little creatures. He was impressed with the way they cared for each other. He respected their industry and unity.

One day a survey team arrived to work in the area. The man asked what they were doing and he learned that a new road was being constructed. To his horror he discovered that the ant colony was directly in the path of the new road. What could he do?

He tried moving a group of the ants some distance away hoping they would establish a new anthill. But they just returned to the colony.

He shouted at them but they couldn’t understand his warning.

Finally in desperation he exclaimed, “If I could just become an ant, then I could warn them of the danger and save them from destruction!” The words were no sooner out of his mouth than he realized what he had said.

For the first time in his life he understood the meaning of the Christmas story he heard as a child. Suddenly he realized that God had to become a man to communicate with us in a way we could understand. Only then could God tell us how he loves us and warn us about the consequences of our sin. Only then could he show us how to escape destruction and live.

I like what author C.S. Lewis said about Christmas in his book “Mere Christianity.” He said, “The Son of God became a man to enable men to become sons of God.”

And here’s the best part: You don’t have to work yourself to death keeping religious laws and ordinances hoping to be good enough to attain godhood or sainthood.

The Bible says salvation is “not by works of righteousness which we have done.” The best part of the gospel is that Jesus did it all for you. Salvation and adoption into God’s family is a free gift from God to you. It is the Christmas gift that keeps on giving. And it’s yours by faith.

Faith means that you trust God to do what he says he will do. To do for you what you cannot do for yourself. He saves you from the penalty for your sin (death) and gives you a new life. It’s a new beginning; a clean slate that starts the day you put your trust in him.

To become a son of God is very simple. Speaking of Jesus, the Bible says, “To all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”

It goes on to say, “God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons…. and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.” All you need to do is trust him and ask Jesus to be your Lord and Savior.

Listen to the Bible; it’s great for your soul!