For children and many older kids and adults, Christmas morning is an exciting time. Christmas can be a time of surprise, mixed with admiration and wonder that is often caused by something beautiful, unexpected, unfamiliar or inexplicable. This may be how we describe Christmas today. It is certainly describing the first Christmas. 

 How wonderful and beautiful and inexplicable that first Christmas was…a time when God came to live among his people. In Revelation we read, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people and he will dwell with them. They will be his people and God himself will be with them and be their God.” (Revelation 21:3) 

The tradition that God was trying to get back to with us was not a tradition of things or events or ornaments or programs, but a tradition of relationship. A relationship with you and with me. He is not just God and Savior. He is Father, Daddy. He came home for Christmas so that in Christ you would have a home.

Christmas @ First: Peace

This is the time of year when our lives can be filled with busyness, frustration, worry, and disagreements. God’s Word tells us that Jesus is the Prince of Peace. It tells us angels reassured the terrified shepherds by bringing them news of great joy. Why, then, are we worried and frustrated?

Now is the time for stillness rather than busyness, blessing rather than frustration, peace rather than worry, and unity rather than disagreements. It is also the time of year when we should focus on the birth of Jesus because that birth brought everything we need.

Christmas @ First - Truth

The reason for Christmas was for the sake of truth. It was not to rewrite truth or redefine truth. Jesus came for the sake of truth. Now Truth is Truth whether you believe it or not. Truth is truth whether it offends you or not. But the truth is to be shared from a position of love (John 18:37, Ephesians 4:15).