Celebrating Christmas

Celebrating Christmas is a simple thought reflection for the Lectionary from Isaiah 12:1-6 that shows how Christians can celebrate and focus on Jesus during the Christmas season.

December 11, 2015 Year C

Isaiah 12:1-6

Many people are going to celebrate during this Christmas season. The Jews will celebrate Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights. Others will celebrate Kwanzaa. Even Muslims will celebrate the birth of their prophet Mohammed on December 24, 2015. (Because they follow the lunar calendar, his birthday falls on Christmas Eve.) But as a Christian, how should I celebrate Christmas? From this passage in Isaiah, we can see different ways to celebrate and focus on God’s Son during the Christmas season.

1. I can praise God because He has compassion on me (Isaiah 12:1-2)

Because God’s wrath and anger were turned away completely on the cross, He has the ability to share His compassion everyday (Lamentations 3:22-23).

2. I can trust God for eternity because He is my salvation (Isaiah 12:2)

I can trust God today, tomorrow, and forever because He has saved me from an eternal destiny in Hell (John 3:16). If I believe that He can save me from an eternal punishment in Hell, then I can certainly walk in faith with Him today.

3. I don’t have to fear what happens today because God is my strength (Isaiah 12:2)

The key to trusting God is not fear. Trust and fear are opposites. God has loved me and He wants me to love Him. Because God has loved me by saving me, I can trust Him forever. But God also loves me today. So I can choose to trust Him and not fear. Loving God means I trust him. This loving trust casts out fear (1 John 4:18). Because God has taken care of my sin problem and I don’t need to be judged for it (1 John 4:17), I can choose to do this because God is love (1 John 4:16). His love strengthens me.

So this gets me in the right mood for Christmas. I can choose to celebrate God.

4. I can celebrate Who God is this Christmas season.

I can thank God for Christmas in a society that increasingly desires to turn a holy day into a materialistic secular celebration (Isaiah 12:4). I can proclaim God’s name (Isaiah 12:4) by reminding people that Christmas is about Jesus Christ, God’s Son. I can celebrate Christmas for the right reasons – the birth of Jesus and His life, death, burial, and resurrection. These are great works God has done through His Son (Isaiah 12:4). I can sing Christmas carols in praise to God (Isaiah 12:5). I can share the story of Christmas with others to tell others the story of Jesus (Isaiah 12:5). Jesus Christ is the “Holy One of Israel.” He has “become flesh and walked among us” (John 1:14). Jesus has been great in my life. I want to take time to remember that at Christmas time (Isaiah 12:6).

How will you celebrate who God is this Christmas season?

Prayer: God, I want to spend time focusing on You this Christmas. Help me celebrate Christmas the right way.