Every year the Christmas season ramps up just a little earlier. It seems people hunger to think about joyful things, and the Christmas season does that for most. Maybe it isn’t just the retail industry driving our holidays. Maybe people are truly seeking peace and joy while hoping for more kindness in our world. People want what Jesus provides even when they don’t realize it is Jesus they need.

There is a Christmas song titled Christmas All Year Long, written by M. McAnally. One lyric talks about giving being an important part of living. McAnally wished the spirit of giving would continue, making Christmas last all year long. The world would likely vote for the Christmas spirit to remain in our hearts, but human hearts don’t produce the character of Christmas consistently. There is “no one else” with the character of Christmas except Christ.

Peter and John had been arrested for preaching the gospel and were standing in front of the same men who, only months earlier, had called for the crucifixion of Christ. Yet these men, filled with the Holy Spirit of God at Pentecost, looked at the Jewish leaders and told them about Jesus saying, “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

There will never be another Christmas story apart from the story of Bethlehem. There is only one Christmas in our Bibles because there is only one Savior. Jesus is the only “name” given among men by which we must be saved. 

I wonder if that is why the world insists on so many other ways to celebrate this holy season. Satan must cringe each Christmas season and work overtime to quench the “only name” behind Christmas. Christmas is about Christ, and “there is salvation in no one else.”

There is only one way for the Christmas spirit to live all year long. The Holy Spirit is the power of Christ, the Spirit of Christmas. We can share the truth of the Christmas season when we share the truth of the gospel. There is only one Christmas story because there is only one Christ. There is only one Christmas because this world only needs one Savior.

Wisdom is understanding that the gift of Jesus is our treasure. When we have received our treasure, we can live with the character of Christmas all year long.