Gospel Christmas

As we enter into December, Christians turn their focus to Christmas and the celebration of Christ's birth.  Many Christians can be quick to point out materialism or Santa as an unchristian approach to the holiday.  Some people even go so far as to condemn others for their holiday traditions considered to be too worldly.  However, what is less likely to be considered is the near-miss of the gospel present in so many Churches.  Amidst all the talk of Jesus's birth, the gospel is still missed.

Mary, the mother of Jesus, is often given an elevated status during this time of the year.  Though the Protestant Reformation rejected the idea of the immaculate conception of Mary, Mary as an intermediary, and Mary's elevation to some type of higher level of sainthood, many Protestants still insist on the use of the song Ave Maria, a prayer to Mary used in Catholic worship.  This song literally replaces the worship of Christ with the worship of Mary.  Mary herself rejected such worship.  When she goes to visit Elizabeth she turns their focus to God.  She doesn't magnify herself but gives all glory to God saying, "...'My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name." (Luke 1:46‭-‬49)  Just as Mary pointed Elizabeth to God, in the same way, we should point others to Christ.  Christmas is not about Mary.  She was God's servant and was blessed to be in the position, but she should not be elevated or worshiped.

People seem content with singing about Jesus coming and figure that they can't go wrong with constantly talking or singing about Jesus.  People focus on Jesus as a baby or how he lived a perfect life.  This quickly digresses into people teaching kids to be "good".  As the year comes to a close people start weighing their "good" deeds against their "bad" deeds and seek penance for the way they have been living.  There is a lot of moralism, but no gospel.  People preach the self-conversion of Mr. Scrooge without talking about the life-changing work of the Holy Spirit.  As we are told in Titus 3:4-7, "But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life."

The gospel is not that Jesus came.  It is not that He lived a perfect life and gives us a good example.  The gospel is that we are sinners, dead in bondage to our own sinful nature.  Yet Christ, being rich in mercy, came to take our place and the wrath we deserved.  Yes, he came as a baby, but the reason he came was to take the place of those who are His and bring them into fellowship with God.  Ephesians 2:4-9 tells us, "But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast."

I think it is great to celebrate the birth of Christ.  I think it is right to sing about Jesus humbling himself to take on human form.  It is good to remember that the Creator of the Universe was born in the most humble of circumstances.  Yet these reminders of His coming should always point us to the cross.  This should be a time for sharing the gospel, not a message of good works.  We should point to Jesus as the only way to be saved from our sins, not just a good, moral example.  Let the gospel be the focus of your Christmas celebrations!