This morning, I asked my son, “What would you think if I told you we weren’t going to celebrate Christmas?” He smiled and said, “What? How could we not celebrate Christmas? We need to spend time with family at least. And wait…what about the gifts?” It is a striking thought. In fact, a cousin of mine who I didn’t grow up with and only met last year called me yesterday, and I asked her, “Are you ready for Christmas?” Her response was that she and her husband don’t celebrate Christmas, and she began to explain their reasons. It was a bit of a surprise to hear this, but I could completely understand her point. Many of the reasons she gave, I’d heard before. I’ve sometimes questioned my own reasons for celebrating Christmas.
Of course, as an adult, I’m not too concerned with receiving gifts. But if I’m honest, it’s the Christmas traditions that I enjoy. It’s the lights, the tree, the carols, the cookies, but mostly the time spent hugging my loved ones.
Sadly, Christmas as we know it also comes with the pressure to give the best gifts, the overpriced items, the debt, and the constant knock of the Amazon deliverer. In America, this comes with the territory. The most unfortunate thing that comes out of the pressure of Christmas is those who can’t afford it. Kids who are disappointed and parents who feel less than because they couldn’t get their kids the latest and greatest. I’ve felt that pressure before. Is this really what God wants?
I remember singing a song as a child called “Christmas Is a Time to Love.” This song was meant to remind children that Christmas isn’t all about the fanfare, but it’s about love. As I think about that song right now as an adult, I question, isn’t every day a time to love? Didn’t Jesus call us to love one another? I mean, He didn’t say love one another…on Christmas. In fact, He didn’t even tell us to celebrate His birth. Instead, He told us to remember His death and resurrection.
Here is something I learned recently about the word “Christmas.” This word originated in the Catholic church as “Christ’s Mass.” From what I understand, in the Catholic church, mass is an act of worship to commemorate the Lord’s death, at which time they participate in communion. Communion is the symbolic act of eating bread, which represents Christ’s body, and drinking wine, which represents the blood of Christ. This is what Jesus instructed the disciples to do during The Last Supper.
In Matthew 26:17-30, Jesus, before His crucifixion, instructed the disciples to go to a certain man’s house to celebrate the Passover. The Passover was the celebration of how God had rescued the Israelites from slavery and protected their firstborn sons from death. You remember the story from Exodus. Because of Pharaoh’s hard heart and refusal to let the Israelites go, God sent ten plagues to Egypt; the last one was the death of every firstborn son. God instructed the Israelites, through the prophet Moses, to mark their doorposts with the blood of a Lamb. By doing so, their firstborn sons would be saved.
Now, fast forward to The Last Supper. Jesus instructed the disciples to prepare to celebrate Passover, knowing that He would be the sacrificial Lamb that would save us all. Matthew 26:26-29 says, “Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, ‘Take, eat; this is my body.’ And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.’” This was an acknowledgment of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection.
In 1 Corinthians 11:26, Paul says, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.” Not only that, when we drink of the cup and eat the bread, we should examine ourselves and remember that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (1 Cor. 11:28, Romans 5:8).
Through communion, we humble ourselves. It’s not a celebration of the many gifts and presents we give and receive, it’s not a celebration of how we decorate our house or the celebration of dinner we make for loved ones. It’s not even a celebration of Jesus’ birth. Rather, it’s the humble recognition that although we are not worthy, God sent His only son, Jesus, from heaven to earth to live a perfect life, to be crucified as the sacrificial Lamb, and to rise from the grave. It is remembering that He did what we could not do for ourselves, conquered sin so that we could be seen as righteous before God and have a personal relationship with Him.
So “Christmas,” as we know it, looks vastly different from “Christ’s Mass.” And with that, as you sing carols of great joy, wrap the perfect gifts, and celebrate the birth of our Savior, I pray that you will remember Jesus’ purpose, reflect on His sacrifice, and anticipate His return with great hope. Have a Very Humble Christmas.
Perhaps this post sounds like a wet blanket to all the Christmas enthusiasts out there. Allow me to lighten the mood :-) What is one of your favorite Christmas traditions? Please share it in the comments below!
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Have a Humble Christmas