The Reason for the Season

John 12:27 – “Now is my soul troubled.  And what shall I say?  ‘Father, save me from this hour’?  But for this purpose I have come to this hour.”

Now that Thanksgiving has come and gone, Christmas is fast approaching, meaning that our car radios will be blasting with Christmas music, our houses will be decorated with trees and ornaments, and everywhere we go there will be at least some slight bit of Christmas joy.  But what is the reason we even celebrate this season?  Christmas movies always talk about how Christmas is all about spending time with friends and family, at least, that’s usually the premise of all those Hallmark and Lifetime Christmas movies.  They are correct in saying that Christmas is a time to be spent with family but that is definitely not why we celebrate the season.  Some people say that Christmas is all about giving and helping those in need, because we need to be thoughtful and kind unlike Scrooge in the famous A Christmas Carol.  Once again, it’s true that we should give to others, but that is not why we celebrate Christmas.  To others it is all about the present and toys that they will open on Christmas day after they have enjoyed a wonderful Christmas Eve with friends.  Surely, this is not the reason we celebrate Christmas, although it definitely is part of the celebration.

The reason for the season can easily be summed up in this – Christmas is a time for us to celebrate Jesus Christ’s birth.  Simply put, it is our chance to have a huge birthday party for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  But Christmas is not just about the celebration, but it is a time for us as disciples of Jesus Christ to reflect on His birth 2000 years ago in that stable in Bethlehem and the repercussions that stemmed from that birth.  It is a time for us to reflect on the miracle that was brought about that night, when a virgin gave birth to the Son of God and how we can learn humility and obedience from her.  It is a time for us to meditate on the miraculous sights and sounds that the shepherds saw as they watched over their flocks by night and how we can praise God and worship Him wherever we are.  It is a time for us to consider the gifts that the wise men brought to Him after His birth and how we can give of ourselves to Him.  But even more than the beautiful story of His birth and the lessons we can learn, Christmas should bring us to remember why Jesus Christ came in the first place – why He chose to humble Himself from His unmatched glory in heaven to be born in a lowly stable and laid in in swaddling clothes (clothes used to clean animals) in a manger.

In John 12:27, we find our answer – “But for this purpose I have come to this hour.”  Jesus makes this statement right after He says that His soul is troubled.  Although it seems cryptic, by reading this verse in context with the rest of the book of John as well as the other Gospels, it is clear that Jesus was making a statement about His death – His upcoming crucifixion.  He was letting all His disciples know right at that time that He had come for one purpose – to die on the cross for our sins, so that with our penalty paid, we could have a restored relationship with Him.  Why did Jesus come?  Simply, He came to save us from our sins.  This was the same message proclaimed to Joseph before Christ’s birth – “She [Mary] will bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”  Jesus Christ came to this earth to save us from our sins.  Our sin separated us from God; it created a rift between us so large that in no way could we build a way to bridge that gap whether with good works or love or giving.  The only way to fill that chasm was for Jesus Christ, the Perfect Lamb of God, to sacrifice Himself for us to pay the penalty for our sin, so that we could spend an eternity with Him.  He filled that chasm with His love for us.  He came and removed the sin nature of our hearts, as well as, the sin stains in our life.  He was born, He died, and He resurrected to bring us life.  The reason He came can be summed up in one simple verse, John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

What is the reason for the Season?  Jesus Christ.  Christmas is a time for us to remember and celebrate Christ’s birth, but it should also lead us back to the cross, for it is there that Christ fulfilled His very mission – to save us from our sins.  And from the cross, we should be led to His resurrection, for there we find victory over death.  During this Christmas season, take some time out of your busy schedule of Christmas shopping, listening to joyful music, and partying with family and friends, to reflect and thank God for why Christ came – to save us.

If you have not yet received Him as your Lord and Savior, why not do so today?  He came especially for you.