The true meaning of Chrismas

From My Perspective

By Toni Walker

Editor

Christmas means different things to different people. To some, it is all about family. Others see it as all about the gifts. Some see it no different than any other day.

Christmas has always been one of my favorite times of the year. I love everything about Christmas, from the lights and decorations, to the presents under the tree. Since I have had children, it has become harder to focus on what Christmas is all about. I mean, my kids can tell you the story of Jesus, and we try to stress the truth. But just because it is difficult to remember, the truth is out there, and it needs to be told. Here is the truth.

The star that tops so many Christmas trees was a sign from God that something huge had happened. The birth of Jesus was not just any old birth. It was by God’s power that the Virgin Mary became pregnant with, and gave birth to, a son, and that needed something special. The Christmas star acted as an explanation mark. “He is here, the one you have waited for is right here,” it seemed to say. The Angel is another popular tree topper, and again, they were instrumental in the story of Jesus’ birth. Not only did they tell Mary and Joseph the news that Jesus would be born, but after His birth, the angels spread the word to the lowliest of people: the shepherds.

The angels, when telling the good news to the shepherd, sang what could be considered the first Christmas carol. “Glory to God in the Highest! And on Earth, Peace, good will to men,” they sang. As beautiful as the carols and songs of today are, can you imagine the sheer brilliance of a “multitude” of Heavenly beings singing praises to God? That surely would have been something to hear. And although our songs today can’t compare to that first song on that first Christmas night, they are all still beautiful portrayals of the story of Jesus.

The gifts we give at Christmas also harken back to Jesus’ birth. As the wise men followed the star that fulfilled the prophecy they knew so well, they carried with them gifts for the newborn king. It is easy to say they “three” wise men brought the gifts, but most Bible Scholars believe we do not know how many “Wise men” there were. We do know they brought three gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. These valuable items were standard gifts to honor a king or deity in the ancient world: gold as a precious metal, frankincense as perfume or incense, and myrrh as anointing oil. In addition to the honor and status implied by the value of the gifts of the magi, scholars think that these three were chosen for their special spiritual symbolism about Jesus himself—gold representing his kingship, frankincense a symbol of his priestly role, and myrrh a prefiguring of his death and embalming.

From my perspective, none of our current Christmas traditions are bad. I do believe, however, that our traditions would take on a higher meaning if we look at them in the perspective of the true meaning of Christmas. Don’t forget why we have them, and especially don’t forget Jesus during this Christmas season.

Merry Christmas, and Happy Birthday, Jesus!