By Henrylito D. Tacio

“Christmas: the Son of God expressing the love of God to save us from the wrath of God so we could enjoy the presence of God.”—John Piper

The book of Matthew (1:18-25) gives us a glimpse of what happened on the first Christmas: “This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph, her husband, was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly”

“But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.  She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because He will save his people from their sins.” (Jesus is the Greek form of ‘Joshua,’ which means ‘the Lord saves.’)

“All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘The virgin will be with child and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel – which means, ‘God with us.’

“When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.  But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son.  And he gave him the name Jesus.”

John (1:1-2) summarizes: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning.”

In his book, The Day Christ Was Born, author Jim Bishop wrote: “Nothing is known of the birth of Christ beyond the New Testament. It is a great and joyful story, the happiest event since the dawn of history.  It needs no gilding.”

They now call this event Christmas. “The coming of Christ by way of a Bethlehem manger seems strange and stunning,” wrote C. Neil Strait. “But when we take Him out of the manger and invite Him into our hearts, then the meaning unfolds and the strangeness vanishes.”

Yes, Jesus Christ is the reason for this season – not Santa Claus, reindeers, Christmas tree, Christmas cards, or gifts. This reminds me of this story.  Two weeks before Christmas, the family was putting up the life-sized manger scene on their lawn.

“Daddy, guess what’s missing,” seven-year-old Jonathan yelled.

“What?” his father asked, as he fastened Joseph to a pole for support.

“The baby Jesus,” Jonathan replied, twisting his face into a frown.  “Daddy, if we can’t find Jesus, there’s no need for us to put up the manger scene at all.”

Yes, if we cannot include Jesus in our Christmas, then there is no reason to celebrate Christmas at all. 

Jesus Christ, after all, is the reason for this season!

In the United States, where I have spent three of my previous Christmases, the majority of children are unaware that the true reason for the season is Jesus. They typically associate Christmas with Santa Claus. The rationale behind this is that Santa Claus is synonymous with gifts.

Consider this another story: A mother grew weary of her children constantly expressing their desires for what they wished Santa would bring them. On one such occasion, she took the opportunity to remind them of the genuine significance of Christmas – that it is a time for giving rather than receiving.

The children could sense that their mother genuinely believed in what they perceived as complete nonsense. They clandestinely gathered and attempted to decipher what thoughts were occupying their mother’s mind. Ultimately, they reached a consensus regarding the necessary course of action.

 They approached their mother with great concern. The eldest child took on the role of spokesperson: “Mom, we have been reflecting on what you shared with us regarding the significance of giving during Christmas; amidst all our discussions about Santa, you may have felt excluded. We do not wish for you to feel this way, Mom. Therefore, I will explain what we have decided. Santa does not need to provide us with all the gifts; if you would like to give us some as well, we are more than happy to allow it!”

Now, regarding gifts. A military expert was invited to give a speech in St. Louis, Missouri. This occurred during World War II, and he faced challenges in securing a seat on the plane. Nevertheless, he managed to obtain one and departed from his hometown of Boston.

During the journey, he was “bumped” in Washington, D.C., by an army general who held top priority. Annoyed and disheartened, the lecturer sat and waited while his flight departed for Missouri.

However, his disappointment paled in comparison to the general’s frustration upon arriving in St. Louis, only to find out that the speaker had to cancel. The general’s dismay was complete when he realized that the speaker was the very individual whose seat he had taken in Washington!

The narrative raises a thought-provoking question for the Advent season: Are the gifts we exchange with one another overshadowing His presence among us? What holds the highest priority for us this Christmas? Before it becomes too late, let us ensure that He occupies the foremost position in our hearts.

After all, Jesus Christ is the true reason for this season!

Billy Graham deplores: “No man ever loved like Jesus. He taught the blind to see and the dumb to speak.  He died on the cross to save us. He bore our sins. And now God says, ‘Because He did, I can forgive you.”