Planning a slimmed-down Christmas
Written by Ivor Cooper, Counties Warwickshire evangelist
The cry of a petulant Sheriff of Nottingham (played by Alan Rickman) in the film Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves. Things hadn’t been going the Sheriff’s way, so as a punishment to the common people, along with a list of additional penalties, the cancellation of Christmas was to be his ultimate sanction.
Sounds familiar? With all that’s been going on this year - the postponing of holidays, weddings and sporting events along with restrictions on gatherings of all kinds - the skipping of Christmas for 2020 has been, perhaps half jokingly, on the lips of some. Or at least a cut down, ‘Christmas light’, in place of the usual over-the-top festival that we’re accustomed to! Well I mean, how can you really enjoy this time of year without the parties, family gatherings, nativity plays, carol services and general excess that the season brings?
Now, I don’t want to call off Christmas. But maybe a ‘thinner’ Christmas would be good for everyone. How many of us are completely exhausted by the New Year? The preparation, organisation and delivering of our packed church programmes can cause even us, as believers, to take our eye off the ball. Amongst all the busyness we can miss the sheer wonder of what God has done for us through the incarnation.
So, here’s “Christmas light” - a cut down, no frills Christmas that focuses on what it’s really all about.
“The Father sent His Son to be the Saviour of the world.” (1 John 4: 14)
This verse encapsulates the glory of the Christmas narrative. No mention of shepherds or wise men. No stable or star (which are of course, all part of the background); but also no reference to Santa, Christmas Trees, Nativity Plays, Carol or Christingle services and other unnecessary trimmings that often obscure our view of the genuine article.
We have:
1) “The Father” - the initiator of everything from creation to eternal glory! And what a fantastic way to describe God - Father. He’s a loving, caring, reliable Father. And the sending of Jesus was His idea, His plan. When you think how little the world considers Him, it’s a wonder He has done anything good for us at all! But because He’s a loving Father, He can’t but act in a benevolent way towards His creation.
And what has the Father done?
2) “sent His Son”. God has given us His very best. Generally we would give better gifts to those closest to us and inferior ones (if any gift at all!) to those we rarely see or who are estranged from us. One of the wonders of Christmas is that the Father has sent His Son to a world who has turned its back on Him. Romans 5: 10 says “... while we were God’s enemies ...” God set in motion the act of reconciliation.
Hallelujah, my Father
For giving us Your Son.
Sending Him into the world
To be given up for men.
Knowing we would bruise Him
And smite Him from the earth.
Hallelujah, my Father
In His death is my birth.
Hallelujah, my Father
In His life is my life.
And the gift of Jesus simply ‘goes on giving!’ “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all - how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” Romans 8: 32
What a giver, what a gift!
And why has the Father sent His Son?
3) “to be the Saviour of the world.” The sending of Jesus into this world was not only a demonstration of God’s love (which of course it is - John 3:16 tells us that!), but it had a specific purpose - to save, to rescue men and women. The Father not only sent a representation of His love, but He sent a Saviour. We are lost; estranged from our creator and tainted by sin which, unless dealt with, will result in separation from God forever. But, “The Father sent His Son to be the Saviour of the world.” ! - God has done something about our condition. The birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus is God’s solution to a lost, sinful and dying world.
And it’s for the world - not just a select few. Every person, from every nation, no matter their background or situation can benefit from the gift that the Father sent at the first Christmas.
So, “The Father sent His Son to be the Saviour of the world.” That’s the Christmas story in a nutshell. No need for mince pies or tinsel. It’s bigger and better than all the superfluous baggage we often add to it.
“Call off Christmas”? No way!, we might as well try to cancel the dawn. But strip away some of it’s trimmings? Perhaps that is a good idea! Then we can simply rest in the wonder of what God has done for us in Jesus.
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