My wife and I have this tradition that on her birthday (which is a couple of weeks before Christmas) we head out to the Lowes down the road to pick out our Christmas tree. My wife’s favorite Christmas movie is the Charlie Brown Christmas and we both chuckle at that pitiful little tree they decorate with one ornament. So our tradition is to go to Lowes and look for the tree that no one else wants. We eagerly search out the one with the gaping hole in the back or the one that has just a few limbs or very few needles. That is the tree we choose and for us it means so much.
For us, like many families, it is a joy to setup the tree and decorate it. The Christmas tree is really one of the things that seems to kick off Christmas. It’s interesting that in many Christmas cards, web sites and movies the Christmas tree is a focal point of Christmas. Some people even put up several trees in their homes.
I received an email from a friend today that had pictures of all kinds of Christmas trees. It included everything from the tree in the White House to the tree in New York City to the tree that we typically see in most homes. The title of the email was simply, “This is a Christmas Tree”.
There is really one true Christmas tree. The true Christmas tree is the cross of Jesus Christ. It is the tree that God lifted up His gift of Christmas to the world so that all eyes would look to Him. It is the true Christmas tree in that we are humbly reminded that “cursed is anyone who is hung on a tree” (Gal. 3:13) and to remember that the Child in the manger is God’s gift to His Church (John 3:16) for His glory. Because of Christmas, we can say along with Paul, “I determine[d] to know nothing but Christ Jesus and Him crucified.” (1 Cor. 2:2)
Let us never, ever separate the cross from the manger. Let us remember that Christmas points to the cross. Jesus Christ humbled Himself to become a man so that He could die in full obedience to the Father to demonstrate God’s love and His justice simultaneously. Christmas is also a time to rejoice knowing that death could not hold our King and that His resurrection points us to the glorious truth that at this very moment He reigns at the right hand of the Father waiting for His enemies to be made a footstool to His feet. While we look back on our Lord’s first Advent this Christmas, let us also expectantly look forward to our Lord’s Second Advent when He will come in with all the angels in fire to collect His elect from the four corners of the earth! This, my friends is the Christmas story.
Merry Christmas!
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I love you all’s tradition of the Christmas Tree. Traditionally we see perfect trees on the TV and perfect trees on all the Hallmark cards. Personally I think the Charlie Brown tree has personality and character. Like life. Life isn’t perfect. That sounds like a fun tree. I love that idea!!!!!!!
Amen
It’s God in the manger, then it’s God on that tree
that causes me to be thankful
2 Thessalonians 2:13 But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.
Amen to that Lenny! Hope you have a blessed Christmas.
Soli Deo Gloria!