The Reason for the Season

On Friday, we celebrated Christmas. And this year, more than most, I’ve been thinking about the true meaning of the celebration. It’s probably owing to some of the memes making the rounds on Facebook this year about what is, or isn’t, the underlying point of Christianity.

See, the point of Christianity isn’t for us to love one another, to be kind, to do good things, or any of that. The point of Christianity was played out in Bethlehem 2000 years ago when God sent His son, Jesus, to earth in fully human yet still fully divine form. The point of Christianity has nothing to do with how we humans relate to one another. The point is how God relates to us, His fallen, broken, messed up creation whom He still loves.

So in some ways, sure, I guess Christianity is about love. But not our love. God’s love.

Christmas is the beginning of that story. God loved us and sent his Son. (1 John 4:9-10) That’s Christmas. But it wasn’t enough to simply send Jesus. The story doesn’t end with the gift. First, this perfect Gift had to live and be rejected, and crucified. The Gift had to cry out from the cross as He took our sin upon his own head, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Because this Gift—God’s son—had to become sin, sin that the Father can’t bear to even look at because of His holy nature—so that you and I don’t have to spend eternity separate from God. Jesus endured the separation for us, and it broke His heart and He died.

And yet, the story still didn’t end. Because God’s plan wasn’t done yet. It wasn’t enough to love us and send His son. It wasn’t enough for that Son to die. Jesus had to be raised. And now the payment was complete. The gap between a fallen creation and a holy Creator was bridged. God’s incredible love for us was made plain.

So the point of Christianity? Accept the gift. Not as a fairy tale or an inspiration to do better; to be better. But as the understanding that God loved you so much, He wanted a relationship with you so much, that He was willing to sacrifice His Son to make that possible.

God is love. And His love is made manifest in Jesus.