Luke 2:15-19 "And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart."
If you take the time to conduct a sample poll amongst a group of people across the United States and you ask them what do they think of when it comes to Christmas or (to rephrase it better) what comes to mind when they think of Christmas? You would have a variety of different answers. Some would say the Christmas tree, lights, decorations, etc. Others would say receiving gifts or giving gifts. Or some may say the Christmas dinner or Christmas music. If you were to poll young children, many would probably say Santa Claus and receiving gifts for Christmas. Then there would be a sizable percentage that would say visiting relatives and friends. Amongst those polled that attend church regularly, their answer would be the birth of our Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ.
While ago I was searching for the online definition of ponder and the definition for it is: (1) to weigh in the mind with thoroughness and care. Another definition is (2) to reflect or consider with thoughtfulness and care. It's a very serious thing what we allow our minds to ponder upon. The Bible says that what a man thinketh in his heart so is he. (Proverbs 23:7). That's not the exact quote but close to it. Philippians 3:8 instructs us to think on things that are pure and of good report. It's very important what we think because how we think will affect our moods, attitude, and our actions. If our thinking isn't right, pure, nor proper, then our actions aren't going to be as they should. When it comes to the House of God and the things of God, many times those who claim to be Christians don't allow their thinking concerning the things of God be like it should be. The same thing happens with Christmas. Many people will think about receiving gifts, giving gifts, watching NBA basketball, etc. but when it comes to the true purpose and meaning of Christmas, their heart is far from that. Our society has commercialized Christmas to the point that we devote more time to deciding what types of gifts to purchase for our relatives and friends than taking time to reflect upon the meaning of our Lord and Saviour being born into this world. Many times we purchase gifts for people we don't like and many times they won't like the gifts you give them anyway. That's tragic! I have no problem with gift-giving for Christmas. However, we've become so bombarded with materialism and all the commercialization that goes along with Christmas that we forget about what's important.
What do you think about during the Christmas season? Is it about Santa Claus? Is it about christmas trees, decorations, Christmas dinners and Christmas parties at the office? Is it about receiving gifts? There's nothing wrong with most of these things in themselves, but do we ever take the time to ponder the fact that God sent Jesus to this earth so that mankind can be redeemed from his sins? Do we ever ponder the significance and meaning behind the Christmas story we read about in our Bibles every Christmas? When you read about the Three Wise Men that presented gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to the Lord, they fell down and worshipped Him. Do we ever think about preparing our hearts to worship and adore him, as the song "O Come All Ye Faithful" goes? There are many churches that will be partaking communion either on Christmas Eve or Christmas day. Christmas should be a time where we remember and reflect upon the sacrifice that Jesus made on Calvary's cross for the sins of mankind. We have so much to be thankful for. This is a time that the family should get together and think about the Lord and what he did for us. Because of his birth, death, burial, and resurrection, we can celebrate Christmas with joy knowing what he's done for us and the provision he made for us on Calvary. That's something we should never forget.
In closing, I'm going to feature the Charlie Brown Christmas YouTube segment where Linus explains to the whole peanuts gang what the true meaning of Christmas is all about. Just listen and pay attention to the meaning behind it.
Linus Explains the True Meaning of Christmas
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