I remember the transition I went through as a kid… and as I recall, after that initial shock, I was fascinated by what I discovered Christmas was REALLY about. I loved the FAO Schwartz toy catalog and all, but the deeper mysteries and intrigue of the first Christmas completely outstripped the glitz of a polar toy maker. It was the difference between candy and steak; one tantalizes and the other satisfies.
What was that first Christmas really? It was the moment when prophecy from years past came true… when the God who is behind all of the universe injected Himself into our story in a real and physical way… it was the ultimate undercover spy operation, the King Himself taking on the guise of a human baby to grow up behind enemy lines and by the ultimate act of self sacrifice, opening a way of escape for all of us… it was the moment in history when angels looked on in awe as God took on the form of lowly humanity and placed Himself on the path to the Cross; it was the moment when Mary and Joseph must have wondered what they had gotten themselves into; it was the start of a two year quest as wise men sought to find the reason for the Star; it was a happening that has fired human imagination ever since in the form of stories, songs, traditions and continual remembrance; it was the birth of the Messiah who would later capture the heart of a third century man by the name of Nicholas…
That first Christmas really was earth shattering… it was the first move in what would become the pivotal moment in all of human history. Regardless of what you believe about Jesus, there is no denying that He is the central figure in our drama… eastern and western, male and female, believer and unbeliever. So… Merry Christmas and God bless us, everyone!
