A question we ask ourselves at Christmas

Christmastime is as good a time as any to take stock on how we teach our children the basic lessons in life and of conduct. Unfortunately, more often than not, Christmas has had its own peculiarity of not-so-proper conduct and practices that have persisted all through the years and which include the adults also. For example, it may have been a sincere effort to have exchanging gifts during parties at the start. But at the end of the day, we grew up giving gifts but expecting something in return.

We often see Christmas as a season of giving. We even have these practices of placing gifts under the Christmas tree. And that of placing decorative socks where Santa Claus is supposed to place the gifts on Christmas Eve. Except for the youngest of children, everybody knows we parents put those gifts, which are even the same as what they expected we would, based on the “desires” they expressed months before. And except for the wordings of Christmas carols, no one believes Santa is real or that he comes riding his sleigh pulled by some reindeer.

It may be wishful thinking, but this writer is still sincerely hoping I can teach my son what is right and the truth about Christmas. And nothing can be truer than explaining the real story behind the season and placing the right focus on what it really is --the birth of Jesus. It might be difficult to explain but we need to do it right in what it really is --that God in his infinite omnipotence and omniscience has deemed it necessary to be born as a human being, become a man so that, three decades later, Jesus offered his life on the cross to give us the gift of salvation.

I have written in the past on the unequivocal relationship between Christmas, the crucifixion, and the resurrection, which is all in accordance with God’s eternal plan for man’s salvation --as a gift offered to those who believe. But the Scriptures and even Jesus himself didn’t hesitate to warn us in Matthew 7:13, that “the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.” And that “the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” (v. 14). It’s strange that Christmas is celebrated all over the world even in non-Christian countries and places and yet the “Savior” who was born on Christmas Day was very sincerely direct to tell us only few would be ultimately saved.

Luke 2:11 tells us “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” Christ’s birth is part of God’s overall plan for man’s salvation, yet Jesus was truly clear in saying only few would ultimately receive it. This season might be a really good time to do a self-reflection on our standing before God --“are we already right with God or not?” It’s something personal that we can only answer to ourselves but answer that question we must --it’s the ultimate reason Jesus was born that Christmas night.