Tis the season to be jolly! That familiar song lyric speaks of this time of year. This is the holiday season! Christmas and the other religious celebrations at this time of year are meant to be joyous occasions. And they are quickly followed by the New Year’s Eve celebration, which is traditionally an uproarious good time.
In general, people like to celebrate. They want to be happy! Even the ancients had designated holidays. There were celebrations for harvest, for planting, for the cycle of the moon, for the solstices, for commemorating notable events, and various other reasons. Although some of these were designed as solemn remembrances, most were meant to be festive occasions. It is the same today. In our country we have solemn holidays that honor fallen heroes, but most of our holidays are celebrations of life.
Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Jesus. Although, December 25th is not the accurate date of his birth, we can rejoice that people in our country are still celebrating Jesus Christ when it isn’t necessarily the popular thing to do in the current climate.
One of my favorite sections of scripture is in the Gospel of Luke regarding Jesus’s birth.
Luke 2:4–14 (KJV) And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
Talk about a momentous occasion worthy of celebration! The whole world changed that night. The angel told the shepherds, “I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.” We are included in “all people”! GREAT JOY! That’s an understatement! We are still experiencing that great joy over two-thousand years later!
The great thing about this Biblical joy is that it not dependent on our surroundings. In fact, we can have this joy even if we’re in a bad state. The great joy of that night in Bethlehem is a spiritual joy that we have now as Christians. Jesus Christ was born and lived his life perfectly, then he was crucified, resurrected, and ascended into heaven. Because of all that, we have the gift of holy spirit in us and all the rights and privileges of being a son of God. There is nothing in this world that can change that or take it away from us. We are going to heaven and all hell cannot stop us! When we remember this, we have great joy! And rightfully so! If our surroundings are crummy or we’re sick or broken-hearted, we still can have joy because the greatness of what we have in Christ surmounts whatever we’re facing in the world.
The Bible also says that God has given us the victory. (1 Corinthians 15:57) If God gave it to us, it is OURS. We have the victory now. We may not see it in every situation we face, but in the end, when all is said and done, our victory is guaranteed! Knowing that gives us joy regardless of what our eyes see.
The proclamation that the angel spoke that night in Bethlehem still resounds in our hearts today. We rejoice because we have a Savior who was born, lived, died and was raised from the dead, who ever lives to make intercession for us.
So, claim the joy that has been given to you! Enjoy this time of year with all its spectacle. Enjoy spending time with your loved ones. Enjoy the quiet peace of the night before Christmas and the excitement of Christmas morning. Enjoy the cookies and dinners with all the fixings. Enjoy giving gifts and receiving them. But most of all, enjoy the love that your Heavenly Father has shown you by giving you His only begotten son so that you can be saved and have a life in His presence and with Christ Jesus that lasts FOREVER!
Merry Christmas. Happy Holidays. Prosperous New Year. God’s Blessings! REJOICE!
Note to my readers: No matter what presents you receive this holiday, don’t forget to open your gift of joy. Thanks for reading!