Christmas, what does it means to me?

Christmas Tradition

I grew up in a Christian family. We love celebrating Christmas. As a family, we get together at Christmas Eve, had family dinner together, sing carols, talk about Jesus birth, play some games and open our gifts. It was a fun tradition growing up and I've told myself, once I have a child, I'll make Christmas the most fun holiday ever. But then my grandpa died few days before Christmas in 2010, it shaken me a little bit and makes me realize that sometimes Christmas is not always the happiest season ever.

Christmas Passage
I was once asked which passage is my favorite with regards to Christmas. I would often quote some of the famous one:

Isaiah 9:6
For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given. And the government shall be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace.

Matthew 1:23
“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”

These are all good passages. I love them. But there is always a passage that I often overlooked, even get bored when reading this. The passage of Matthew 1- the geneology of Jesus Christ.

I don't like history even geneology. Everytime we read Matthew 1, I got so bored that I just want to skip that part.
But few years ago, I started to appreciate and even understand this boring passage and why it was there in the Bible.

The Silent Years
When the old testament ended, there were about 430ish years of silence. It was called Silent Years because during this time there were no prophets, there were no king, they just came from exile. It seems God is so quiet during these years. The Jews have been waiting for the Messiah. The Messiah that has been prophesied by Prophet Isaiah but the exact date of when He will be born is not given.

Imagine the years of waiting of uncertain date. Imagine the years they've been waiting for the Messiah. It's even hard to be patient waiting for a specific date. How much more  waiting for something uncertain. I talked to my students about this. One of my student, honestly shared that it's even hard to wait for your birthdya next year.

But moving forward when we read Matthew 1, the verse opened with

V.1
The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham:

We can see the promised One, the One promised from Abraham and to David is here. He is here. He was born.

And what amazes me is that in Jesus's geneology we can see different people with a past. There was Rahab, a former prostitute, Ruth, a widower and even David, an adulterer and a murderer. It is just so amazing how even different people came from different backgrounds were used by God to fulfill His plan.

What's more amazing is that the Promised One really came. The One promised to both Abraham and David came. He is Immanuel, He is the God with us.

The Suffering Servant

Philippians 2 is another passage that I love. It's not necessarily a Christmas scripture but it is something so humbling about Jesus.

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
Philippians 2:5‭-‬8 NKJV

He being an infinite God, a Powerful One humbled Himself to be a baby, to depend on His earthly parents. It is truly humbling to know that Jesus obeyed the will of the Father, even unto the death of the cross, a painful death.

There's so many things about Christmas. I love Christmas with every thing in it- Jesus' birth, the festivities, the presents, the food, the gift of family and friends.
But this week when I experienced stress and struggles in Vancouver and Victoria, when the possibility of spending Christmas in the airport struck me, when the idea of celebrating Christmas far from home looks like a reality, I go back to the basic.

What is the meaning of Christmas to me?
Christmas is all about Jesus Christ and what He did. He humbled himself, obeyed the will of the Father, to be born a baby, lived a human life and died a painful one just to save humanity from our sins.

Even when all the festivities, fun, food, and fellowship will be stripped away, Jesus remains the same. He remains the reason for the season.

Thank God we arrived safe to Calgary last night. I'm glad to experience all those hardships to be able to reflect well about this Christmas season. 

What if everything will be stripped away from me, will Christmas still be good?

Have a wonderful Christmas season. May you experience true joy, love and peace through Jesus Christ.