A “Real” Christmas

Luke 2:11

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In the first parish that I served, there was a retired couple who had gotten married when they were very young, teenagers. They told me that the first Christmas of their married life, they had no money, they couldn’t buy each other gifts. And so the husband bought a jar of maraschino cherries that they could give to each other. Can you imagine that, being so poor that the only thing that you can have to celebrate Christmas is a jar of candied cherries? The couple also told me that from that year on, at every Christmas, they bought a jar of maraschino cherries to remind them of that first Christmas.

That begs the question, though, how much could you strip away from your Christmas traditions and celebrations and still call it a real Christmas? Could you get rid of all that food that the family shares for Christmas dinner? Could you get rid of the Christmas tree and all the ornaments and lights? Could you get rid of all the presents under the tree? How much could you strip away and still call it a real Christmas? On the first Christmas, there were no gifts that were shared except the gift that God gave. We’re reminded of that gift in the words of the angel to the shepherds. We read in Luke chapter two.

Today in the town of David, a Savior was born for you. He is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:11)

The angel said that a Savior was born. That was God’s gift to mankind that first Christmas. That was God’s gift to you. You needed someone to come and rescue you from your sins. And God sent Jesus to do exactly that. Jesus was born to die for you, but God raised him from the dead so that you can know that he is your Savior, that your sins are forgiven, and that you will be with God in heaven one day. If you remember that, if that is the only gift that you have at Christmas time, that’s a real Christmas. That’s the Christmas that God wants you to celebrate. May the birth of the Savior, Jesus the Christ, fill your heart with peace and contentment now and always. Amen.