This Year’s Toy Catalog

Matthew 1:20-21

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It finally arrived. You should have seen the look on their faces when they got them for the very first time. This year’s toy catalog. My boys were engrossed in those catalogs probably for hours. We enjoyed the silence as they spent their time circling every last thing that they wanted to get for Christmas.

Recently one of my sons actually added up everything that he had circled in his magazine and it totaled $1,167.84. I told him if you circle everything in the catalog it’s like circling nothing and we still won’t know what you want for Christmas.

Sometimes we as parents maybe wonder if our kids are excited about Christmas because of the greed of the holiday season. They’re excited because of all those presents they could possibly get. And we want to teach them rightly what Christmas is all about. I know I’ve seen a number of kids shows I’ve also read books to my children as well. On this exact theme: trying to teach kids that Christmas isn’t all about the presents and everything that you can get.

So what is it all about? Well in those books and on those videos for the most part they led to the same conclusion that Christmas is all about family and spending time with one another. Enjoying the celebration and the season.

Maybe for us as adults we view Christmas in a similar light. Yes, we do get presents and we appreciate them, but it’s not the same as when we were kids because we could go out and buy those things on our own anyway. Maybe we do appreciate the family getting together over the holiday season, but is that really what it’s all about?

What happens when there’s family strife? When there’s dissension? When a family member doesn’t come because of an argument that occurred the previous year? What about when you lose a family member? When grandma or grandpa or husband or wife or son or daughter dies what are you left with when it comes to Christmas? What is Christmas all about?

The true meaning of Christmas is not found in the presents it’s not even found in those family get togethers. The true meaning of Christmas is found in the Christ child. It’s a birthday celebration for Jesus. And who is he? Matthew chapter one it tells us when the angel appeared to Joseph he said this

“Joseph, Son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because the child 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.” Matthew 1:20-21

Christmas is a celebration of a Savior. The Savior from our sins of greed. A Savior who has come to fix the problem of our fights and turmoil. Even the problem of death. He comes to bring true joy and peace for the season. Let’s make Christmas all about him and all about his birth. When the focus is on Christ then all those things fade into the background and we can truly find joy.

No matter if we get what we wanted for Christmas or not. No matter if all the family members are there or not we can have joy in the celebration of the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.