Dr. Tony Evans once told the story of a mother who knew of who was having a gathering to celebrate the birth of her newborn son. She invited a bunch of friends over to celebrate his arrival. She welcomed her guests, and they all had a great time celebrating, eating, and drinking. After a while, one of the ladies said, “Well, bring the baby out. Let us see it.”
The mother went to get the baby from his crib – he was nowhere to be found. She started to panic and to feel fearful. And the, she suddenly remembered that the baby was still at her parents’ house, where she had left him earlier that morning. She and the guests had been having so much fun that they had forgotten what the party was all about in the first place.
Dr. Evans is quite right in his concluding observation: “During the Christmas season, many people get busy with celebration and forget that the birth of Jesus Christ is the reason for the season.” For the little baby boy in Dr. Evans’ story was in effect a “missing person” at the event intended to celebrate his very own birthday.
In like manner, very often, in the modern celebration of Christmas, there is often yet another “Missing Person”, and that individual is the very Son of God, Jesus Christ, Himself, Whose birthday this holiday is designed to celebrate in the first place!
It is possible to see decorations, hear music, view movies, attend functions, and even repeat rituals at Christmas time and yet never even hear or see the person of Jesus Christ referenced.
While this approach to the celebration of Christmas might well be expected by the secular world, it should never be embraced by those who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ.
This year, as the Christmas season unfolds, it is fitting that we who bear the name of Christian celebrate in part by undertaking the various customs and festivities that are associated with the time of year. At the same time, let us be careful to remember why we even celebrate Christmas to begin with. Let us be careful not to overlook Jesus Christ on His birthday!
STORY SOURCE: Tony Evans, Tony Evans’ Book of Illustrations: Stories, Quotes, and Anecdotes from More Than 30 Years of Preaching and Public Speaking (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2009), p. 60.
The mother went to get the baby from his crib – he was nowhere to be found. She started to panic and to feel fearful. And the, she suddenly remembered that the baby was still at her parents’ house, where she had left him earlier that morning. She and the guests had been having so much fun that they had forgotten what the party was all about in the first place.
Dr. Evans is quite right in his concluding observation: “During the Christmas season, many people get busy with celebration and forget that the birth of Jesus Christ is the reason for the season.” For the little baby boy in Dr. Evans’ story was in effect a “missing person” at the event intended to celebrate his very own birthday.
In like manner, very often, in the modern celebration of Christmas, there is often yet another “Missing Person”, and that individual is the very Son of God, Jesus Christ, Himself, Whose birthday this holiday is designed to celebrate in the first place!
It is possible to see decorations, hear music, view movies, attend functions, and even repeat rituals at Christmas time and yet never even hear or see the person of Jesus Christ referenced.
While this approach to the celebration of Christmas might well be expected by the secular world, it should never be embraced by those who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ.
This year, as the Christmas season unfolds, it is fitting that we who bear the name of Christian celebrate in part by undertaking the various customs and festivities that are associated with the time of year. At the same time, let us be careful to remember why we even celebrate Christmas to begin with. Let us be careful not to overlook Jesus Christ on His birthday!
STORY SOURCE: Tony Evans, Tony Evans’ Book of Illustrations: Stories, Quotes, and Anecdotes from More Than 30 Years of Preaching and Public Speaking (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2009), p. 60.