Why is Christmas SO Important?

Did you ever wonder why Christmas is such a big deal? Why do we go through all the trouble each year to celebrate? Sure, when you’re in the mood, some of the parties and traditions can be fun, but why is Christmas so important?

You may have heard some of the story, but do you know what the main point is?

Zechariah in the holy of holies talking to the angel about his promise.

Zecheriah’s Experience

As a priest in the Temple, he cast lots with the others to discover who’d get the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to burn incense unto the Lord in the holiest of holies.

The honor fell to him.

As he stepped inside, he saw an angel standing beside the altar. It scared the bejeebers out of him. Would you happen to know what the angel said? “Don’t be afraid!” Whenever you read of an angel’s appearance in the Bible, that seems to be the first thing they say.

But what would you do if you saw an angel?

Imagine praying for a long time for something you really want. You may even have given up hope when an angel, a real one, comes to you personally and says,

“I have come to tell you that your prayer has been answered.”

He didn’t say your prayer is going to be answered. He said, “it has been answered.

Zechariah and his wife, Elizabeth, were an older couple, devoted to the Lord, and boy, had they prayed for a child. She was past the normal childbearing age, but when Zechariah got home, the angel was right. They became parents.

Zechariah and Elizabeth celebrate their miracle.

Mary’s Miracle

At that time, it was just as uncommon for an angel to appear as it is today. The Bible says it had been 400 years since anyone had even heard from God. But six months later, that same angel appeared to one of Elizabeth’s relatives, a young girl named Mary, in the Middle Eastern village of Nazareth.

This angel was on a mission from God!

Mary was betrothed, or engaged to be married, to a man named Joseph. She could have been as young as twelve when that angel said to her,

“You will become pregnant with a baby.” (Luke 1:31, TPT)

Imagine being twelve and hearing that.

And as a virgin, Mary couldn’t figure out how this could happen, and also wondered why me?

The angel explained that she was greatly favored. And Mary’s response was so humble that we see why God probably picked her.

“I am the Lord’s servant.
Let everything you’ve said happen to me.”
(Luke 1:38, GOD’S WORD® Translation)

That’s what you would have said, right? ☺️

Then the angel said,

Elizabeth, your aunt, is also having a baby. I bet that was helpful for Mary to have someone to share this surprising adventure with, someone she knew and loved.

She hurried off to see Elizabeth, and catch this, when she reached her, the baby inside of her leapt. Elizabeth’s baby knew something special was happening!

And not only that, Elizabeth confirmed what the angel said to Mary, she said, “The child you carry inside you will bring great blessings to all people . . . you have been chosen by the Maker of Life for a great honor because you believed his words to you.” (Luke 1: 43-45, First Nations Version)

Wouldn’t you like to be a fly hovering over their fire that night,
listening to them chat as they compared notes!

This is when Christmas became so important to Mary, who carried Jesus as a baby.

And don’t forget,
“Not one promise from God is empty of power.
Nothing is impossible with God!”
(Luke 1:37, TPT)

But Again, Why is Christmas So Important?

What does it have to do with you?

Did you ever think that you needed to be a good person to get God’s approval to enter heaven?

But did you know that God is not concerned about you being a good person?*

No, He never tells us that. Do you know who does? The Pharisees.

They were the super religious guys. They looked down their noses at the people. Lacking compassion, they shamed the people publicly, called for the death penalty, and gave them a hard time when they weren’t following every single rule, as if anyone could.

The Pharisees completely missed the heart of God.

Do they remind you of anyone you know?

Those religious guys searched for reasons to bring Jesus down. They accused Him of breaking God’s rules when it was their own man-made rules that nullified God’s law. He didn’t care to follow those rules.

So, the Pharisees said Jesus was “of the devil,” and actually plotted to kill him because He healed someone on a Sabbath.

Jesus called the Pharisees hypocrites.

He said,

“Great sorrow awaits you,
religious scholars and Pharisees
—frauds and pretenders!

For you are obsessed with peripheral issues,
like insisting on paying meticulous tithes
on the smallest herbs that grow in your gardens.

These matters are fine,
yet you ignore the most important duties of all:
to walk in the love of God,
to display mercy to others,
and to live with integrity.

Readjust your values and place first things first.

What blind guides! Nitpickers!
You will spoon out a gnat from your drink,
yet at the same time,
you’ve gulped down a camel without realizing it!
(Matthew 23:23-24, TPT)

What Did Jesus Do Instead?

He doesn’t condemn people.
He loves them.

We never could meet God’s standard because being in the presence of His holiness requires perfection. So, no matter how hard we try, we can never be good enough.

But Jesus was.

And the reason Jesus came all the way down from heaven to live a perfect life was for us.

In order for us to enter heaven, we need to be holy, but we aren’t. So, Jesus went through hell for us. He died a painful death on a cross to pay the ransom for any of us who’d like Him to cover our debt, and impart His holiness to us, so we can follow Him to heaven.

If you have been, you can quit trying to be good enough for God because you can’t be. And Jesus already did it for you.

What Jesus wants from you is a relationship!

Whenever I speak to a group,

I always ask, ‘God, what is it You want me to say?’ Over and over, and as if for the first time,

He says,

‘Make sure . . .‘

I lean in, curious, totally forgetting the last twenty times. ‘Make sure of what?’

‘Make sure you tell them,’ He pauses for effect, ‘that I love them.'”**

Wait, don’t go flying by that. Because that’s huge and really important. God LOVES you. He really, really, really loves you, and He wants to make sure that you know that!

**Christmas is So Important For You Because . . .**

. . . it’s the celebration of when Jesus Christ came into the world.

We needed a Savior to save us from ourselves. And God knew that, so He sent Jesus to take our place, to pay for what we never could, and offer us what we never deserved because He loves us and wants us to spend all of eternity with Him in heaven.

All we have to do
is open our hearts to receive that amazing gift,
the reason for the season.

That’s why Christmas is SO important!

Dear Sweet Lord Jesus,
Thank You so much for what You have done for me,
for Your all-encompassing forgiveness,
and amazing love.
I don’t want to be a hypocrite.
Help me to follow You
and learn your ways of radical love.
It’s in Your name, I pray.