Christmas is not just another holiday. It is not just a season for retailers to see the parenthesis disappear from the net profit/loss bottom line.

The truth of Christmas is a basic foundation of deep philosophical and theological questions about the meaning of life and our existence in this world.

In just a few decades, we have witnessed a major shift in attitudes about this traditional holiday. To show how seismic the shift has been, let me ask you a question. Why was it newsworthy that in 2017, President Trump wished everyone a “Merry Christmas?”

There is a world view on public display in a manger scene or in the greeting of “Merry Christmas.” That is why organizations like the ACLU regularly demand that small towns remove manger scenes from public property and “Seasons Greetings” or “Happy Holidays” have replaced “Merry Christmas” as a traditional greeting in many places.

A Christmas world view is based on the truth of Scripture. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1 NASB)

That one sentence established the truth that God is the creator of all that we see. Some may mock the idea of God creating everything out of nothing.

The alternative view is that everything was already in existence and just rearranged itself, by itself, in the balanced order of nature and universe that we know today. It seems that the latter view requires a greater leap of faith than to believe in God as the Creator.

Genesis further describes God’s creation of man in the image of God. He created Adam and Eve as a special creation and gave them dominion over the earth.

The world was perfect in every way and man was perfect in every way. A perfect, holy God had created a perfect environment with perfect creatures.

His desire was a personal relationship with His creation and He had one. He walked with Adam in the garden in the cool of the day.

God gave one rule to man. Imagine, living in a perfect environment with just one rule.

Adam and Eve willfully committed the first sin and broke the one rule that God gave. As a result, sin entered the world and with it the consequences of sin.

The horrible consequences included the destructive emotions of fear, embarrassment, guilt, anger, jealousy, envy, and hatred. Those emotions led to actions of cover-up, blaming others, murder, and other destructive behaviors.

Nature itself was infected by sin. Man now had to confront weeds, thorns, and pestilence that fought to kill what had been growing freely and abundantly in the perfect Garden.

Man’s sin was an incurable genetic disorder passed down to every generation. “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned.” (Romans 5:12 NASB)

Man sought for meaning through accumulating knowledge, establishing empires and building wealth. None of those ended the curse of death and none of those brought peace and meaning to life.

But God already had a plan to solve the unsolvable problem of sin. Because of His great love for man, He came to earth as one of us to reconcile man to himself.

2,000 years ago on a hillside near the little town of Bethlehem, angels appeared to shepherds in the field and announced good tidings of great joy. “Today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior who is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:11 NASB)

Jesus lived the perfect life. He promised life to those who would believe in Him. He made an exclusive claim that He, and He alone, is the way, the truth, and the life.

He took the penalty of sin on behalf of fallen man. He died on a cross and was raised again from the dead. “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.” (II Corinthians 5:19)

He defeated death and the grave by being raised from the dead. Since the time of His life on this earth, His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension to heaven, millions, if not billions, have believed in Him. He changed the world and is still changing lives today.

One day He will return. He will, once and for all, put a permanent end to the consequences of sin. “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain.” (Revelation 21:4 NASB)

God’s revelation of Jesus Christ is the greatest message ever given. It is the message of God’s great love and His amazing grace that He has shown to man.

Christmas is not just another holiday. The images of Christmas such as the manger scene and the greetings of “Merry Christmas” carry with them a world view, the only world view, that gives hope for eternal life.

It is no accident that you are reading this blog post. My prayer for you this Christmas is that, if you have not already, you will receive Christ and forever more have a Christmas world view.

Merry Christmas.

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