What Christmas Means to Me
My earliest memories of December are filled with joy and anticipation. As a child, Christmas meant new clothes, matching African print ashobi, Jollof rice and pot roast, carols and the thrill of crackers, bangers, sparklers, and joy.
As an adult, my Christmas memories have changed, but light has always remained, lighting our homes, the act of giving, bringing joy, and celebrating together. After eleven months of the year, the twelfth month comes along, and there is this turning on of a light switch that escorts us out of the year and into a new one. Christian singer Toby Mac captures it well in his song Christmas This Year: “And everywhere I go I can feel it. Some say it moves like a spirit. It falls on us once a year.”
Yet, with all the lightheartedness, celebration, gifting, food, and family, I am reminded that it has always been Jesus. People debate whether Jesus was really born in December, or why we celebrate Christmas with a tree or claim Christmas is a pagan holiday. These debates go on, but for me, Christmas is all about Jesus.
To explain further, I must go all the way back to the beginning, to God’s original intent and plan for man and woman in the garden of Eden. Scripture says after He created them, He told them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it.” (Genesis 1:28 ESV), and in the cool of the day, they communed with Him (Genesis 3:8).
God’s plan for man was clear, but Adam chose the Tree of Knowledge over the Tree of Life, disrupting that plan and introducing lasting consequences. Mankind was cursed and separated from God. Because of the serpent’s role, Scripture says, “The seed of the woman will bruise your head.” (Genesis 3:15 ESV)
That promise began the story of Christmas.
From Genesis to the New Testament, God orchestrated a plan for the Seed of the woman to crush the head of the serpent. Prophet after prophet came on the scene, announcing God’s plan and His love for His people. God weaves a beautiful love story through Scripture, caring for His people through the law, the commandments, Egypt, the Red Sea, and Isaiah proclaiming the Messianic promises, “Unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son will be given.” (Isaiah 9:5)
Then there is David and the promise of a King from the line of Judah whose throne would be eternal. Because of the curse for disobedience in the Garden of Eden and the entrance of death into man’s story, this was a powerful promise as man was no longer eternal. It would take a Messiah to deliver this promise and save His people. David demonstrates a deep closeness to God. Yet even with that, sin dominated man. There was blatant idolatry, murder, drifting back and forth in obedience to God, and evil persisted. Humanity kept drifting, and creation groaned for redemption.
In the New Testament, thousands of years after Eden, Matthew presents David’s lineage. This leads to the angel Gabriel visiting Mary, recorded in Luke. She is told she is highly favored and chosen to bring forth the Seed of God (Luke 1: 28-29). This is where Christmas becomes far more than lights, food, or traditions. It marks the Advent, the arrival of the Savior of the world, the promised seed of woman, God in human form, Emmanuel.
From the foundation of the earth, God knew man would fail, yet He still breathed His breath and created them. Scripture says Jesus, the Word, was with God at creation, and fully aware of our future. Even so, He loved us; before the world was formed, the Lamb, Jesus, was already prepared to be slain for our sins. When God created Adam, He already knew Jesus, the second Adam, would come. Jesus would model the original relationship, dominion, fruitfulness, and communion.
Ultimately, that is what Christmas means.
Christmas is the culmination of God's love, as He sends Jesus to rescue us. We celebrate the fulfillment of His ancient promise: “the seed of the woman will bruise the serpent’s head.” Scripture declares that Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8 ESV). It’s Jesus coming to show us what total submission to the Father looks like, doing and speaking only what He did.
Christmas is joy, family, food, celebration…But above all, it is the Advent of the Promised Seed, the One who would rescue mankind. From Gethsemane to the Cross, Jesus fulfilled what humanity could never do. He brought salvation that had eluded man since Eden.
As we celebrate Christmas this year, whatever your circumstances are, settle your heart and celebrate God’s faithfulness in sending Jesus to our world. Celebrate with your family. Enjoy the season and grasp the real gift of Jesus, God with us, who tabernacled among us. Whether this event happened in December, September, or any Hebrew month, the reason remains the same - the Advent of Jesus Christ to save His people from their sin and from the consequences of the Fall.
Hallelujah!