JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON!
Okay…pet peeve time. Some might call it “nit-picking” time. Some might call it “spitting in the wind time.” Some might even call it “hot air” time. Yeah, probably right on all counts. 🙂 But may I just be open and honest here? (Sure I can. It’s my blog).
I. DISLIKE. THAT. STATEMENT.
In a big way. First, I know what “they” are trying to say. Don’t get me wrong. I understand and appreciate the sentiment. There is no greater purpose to this time of the year than to focus on Jesus. So, please don’t call me a heretic, or hunt me down and sing “far-rar-rar-rar-rar” to me.
Put your coffee, hot chocolate, or whatever you may be drinking onto the table before you read the next line. I don’t want you to hurt yourself or spill something. I don’t like the statement because I don’t think it is true. Gasp! Choke! Truth is:
JESUS IS NOT THE REASON FOR THE SEASON…WE ARE!
Last I looked at the Scriptures, Jesus did not come for Himself. He came because of us. That makes us the reason for His coming. “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” (Rom.3:23) “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son…For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” (John 3:16-17) Just those two verses alone go a pretty long way to saying we were the reason He came.
JESUS IS NOT THE REASON FOR THE SEASON. HE IS THE ONE WHO GIVES MEANING TO THE SEASON.
He is the One who takes a life out of rhythm and gives it rhyme. He is the One who takes a life out of sync and gives it fluidity. He is the One who takes a life jumbled and puzzled and puts the pieces back where they belong. He is the One who takes a life of chaos and gives it peace. I know you may say I am grabbing at straws, but I honestly believe Christ-followers ought to be the ones who understand this. The message of Christmas was not meant to just be celebrated amongst ourselves. This message of Joy, Love, Peace, and Hope was meant to be shared with all…to all who need it. Last I looked, that was every last one of us.
Okay…rant over. 🙂 Please feel free to pick comment away. I welcome your thoughts.
And just to show you I am a good sport (and to show that I am not a Scrooge) enjoy a song from my favorite Christmas CD. (Please no hate mail).
You know, you are absolutely right. Jesus did come for us. To give His life for ransom for our sins. To give us the Spirit of adoption.
I wonder what would happen if we loved our neighbors as ourselves and also give ourselves for them? Not in a cross, but in service. What if we bought no gifts and spend all that money on feeding the homeless, washing people’s feet and eating a meal with the ones that are sleeping in places that smell like dung (like Jesus)?
This is the type of stuff that breaks my heart. We are too easily consumed by commercialism or even religion. I bet Jesus is not wrapped in a manger under a Christmas tree. I bet he’s in the table with the worst sinners this world has brough up today. If I want to spend Christmas with Him, I should go there, cause that’s where He really is.
I want to look at that star, because I know it won’t lead me to a temple or a palace, but a stable. A place where we should be, but we are afraid to go. Crap, I just depressed myself!
What a great point Moe! He came in service. Should we do any less? The answer is obvious. You make a great case. Thanks for a thoughtful and meaningful comment.
Seriously great comment Moe.
I was going to comment and then I read what Moe said…and I can’t top it. Well said, Moe. Very well said.
Totally agree with you and Michael.
I couldn’t have said it better myself!!!!!!!!
Great thoughts Bill…
We are the Reason he came for…
Amen!
Thanks Arny. Good to hear from you.
It appears that we may share a few pet peeves. We don’t need to join the Christmas Wars, either. I was frustrated and angry last year when some Christians, who should have known better, made a big stink about a bank that wouldn’t put a Christmas tree in the lobby because someone might be offended. These Christians responded by calling corporate and declaring that they were offended by them NOT having a Christmas tree in the lobby, and they would be moving on to a new bank.
Maybe, just maybe, sometimes Christians should shutty-shutty and listen to what Jesus says will honor Him.
I like the song. You’re fine as along as you don’t make me listen to Holly Jolly Christmas. It drives me up the wall.
I will go out on a limb here Susan: that was dumb! What kind of message did that send that bank or the community? Nothing positive for sure. A business can decorate however they choose. I may or may not agree but what can I do? And I WILL NOT make you listen to that song. My reaction is the same as yours. 🙂 thanks for the comment.
Rant away on this because I agree with you!
Jesus is the reason we have life not just the reason for Christmas or any other season.
Thanks for ranting — oh I mean sharing 🙂
You’re welcome Jim. Thanks for coming by. BTW: I don’t rant. I share. Glad you see that. 😛
Nothing like a great 80’s Christmas song to start off the morning 🙂
You are spot on though. We can get very distracted between Turkey day and Christmas. A great reminder that Jesus came to earth – not to toot His own horn – but to offer us a way to God. He came for us!
thanks Bill
I like the way you put it Craig: to offer us a way to God. Exactly! Thanks.
I have nothing to add but YES! YES! YES!
That speaks volumes to me Dusty. Thanks.
I see a new Christmas CD coming out soon…”Bill’s Christmas Rants”!
All kidding aside…I agree my brother, He came for us…without that marvelous gift, there is no meaning to life.
You sure wouldn’t want me singing on it though! Hey, maybe I could a Telly Savales thing. (Remember him?) You are right jay. Without that marvelous gift, there is no meaning to life. thanks for coming by.
Very thought provoking post! I’ve never heard it put like that. When I read your first paragraph, I thought “oh man, I want to agree with him here… I hope he says something to change my mind on this…” 🙂
The good news is, you did! Thanks for putting it like this.
PS- how did the Mary and Joseph message go? We are broaching that topic this Sunday so I’m curious about your angle and how it was received.
Curious to know how you were leaning when it first started Stephen. 🙂 Glad I changed your mind (however that is). As for the sermon: it went well. I opened with the survey from the weekend post http://billgrandi.ovcf.org/wordpress/?p=6857 then explained the whole cultural thing Joseph would have been involved in. My last “point” was asking “how should we respond to betrayal?” I used the 4 “love” ideas from yesterday’s post to answer that question. I was surprised but did receive some very positive comments (2 🙂 ) from people. Only time will tell how much of an impact it made. we are dealing with something as a church that will, hopefully, soon come to an end. Then the rubber will meet the road. If you want to know shoot me a private email. Oh, you can listen to the sermon from the church’s website: ovcf.org. Thanks for asking.
I suppose at first I was just trying to figure out what you meant as far as Jesus not being the “reason for the season”, and it made sense when you talked about Him being the one who gives meaning to the season. Thanks again.
I’m going to check out your sermon- thanks for the link!
Thanks for checking back Stephen. Hope I answered your question. 🙂
With all the joy around Christmas, we get so enamored with that manger scene. And we forget the reality that Christ came to shed his blood for our sins. The joy of his redemption should also remind us of the horrid death that we were redeemed from.
Man, you are so right. A nice clean stable. No smell. No poop. No dirt. So…so…clean. Reality is as you say: Jesus came to die. Story closed. Thanks Loren.
I’ll give you this; you got guts! I mean to play another Tommy Jame song?!!!
I too dislike the popular saying, not because it doesn’t have some merit from a theological stand point, but because it just sounds so contrived. When I hear someone say it, it makes me cringe, but I just smile.
It’s about His sacrifice and the sacrifice of the Father for a hopeless and fallen world. It’s about His grace. It is a reminder of the season of grace.
But then, I’m not so bold to draw a line in the sand or set a battery on my shoulder and dare someone to knock it off!
Just kidding, I appreciate the fun mixed with a serious lesson, thanks.
Oh, and. You apparently haven’t heard Bob Seger’s The Little Drummer Boy!!!
Guts? I may just play another one also. Already have a post in mind for another one off the album. 🙂 I can see your “contrived” comment also floyd. Very true. And no, i haven’t heard his LDB. may have to see if it is on YouTube. Thanks.
Well said, Bill. Cliches like this (to me) are the Christian’s attempt to fight back against all the secular “Happy Holiday” stuff. It sometimes feels less like something we believe and more like just another slogan we are using to protest with.
Thanks Stan. Sure have missed hearing from you here and on your blog. Yeah, the “fight back” mode. Sort of just sits wrong you know? Thanks for visiting again.
I was thinking about this statement the other day too. I was thinking how the same people who say this are some of the same who forget or don’t follow Him the other 95% of the year. They make a big deal about it at Christmas because they’re guilty for not living it the rest of the time. I like your thoughts, Bill. Absolutely right. He came for us and that’s a most humbling truth that we get to live in and experience every day. Thank you.
i reckon many of us are guilty of forgetting that the “Christmas spirit” should be all year round not just one day. Well said Jason. And it is a humbling truth. Thanks for commenting.
Thank for sharing this one, Bill. I think its true…sometimes people have such a lofty picture of Christmas that they forget that (like Loren said) it was ugly, but beautiful at the same time.
Glad someone else commented on that Jon. Ugly and beautiful at the same time. Thanks for the comment. How is the job search coming?
I love this, Bill. And, like Moe said at the top of this thread, I wonder what the season would truly become if we spread this message to others. If we made the Christmas season about them, about their struggles, about their hurts.
Hope your own Christmas season is going well.
I will add to yours and Moe’s comment Bryan by saying, “What a difference it would make if we got this message and spread it.” I would also add all year round. Thanks for coming by.
Hi Bill,
Just my 2 cents this morning. For Moe’s comment, I love the passion! We need to be mindful though that there are some extremely wicked people ‘out there’ and we need to be very aware and watchful if we enter their camps. We don’t want to be found eating their ‘delicacies’ either.
For Loren’s comment, I agree. We don’t hear enough about what we were saved from, coming from the pulpit. We are in a fight for our lives on this earth. Our eternal lives. There is little being preached about today on the doctrine of eternal damnation. If we think the earth is ugly at times, hell is going to just that ‘hell’.
I’ve been reading the Psalms the last number of days. Some of the emphasis in Psalms 73 to 106 is the unfaithfulness of God’s people and God trying to bring them back through the statues, ordinances, feasts of remembrance, and utimately, giving his people over to their enemies.
I tend to agree that Christmas is for the world. It’s for the world to remember Jesus. I think that’s maybe the reason the Christians protested about their being no Christmas tree in the bank lobby. The world is trying to remove the remembrance of Jesus. They want to forget Him.
I was reading Psalm 82. A psalm of Asaph. ‘Rise up, O God, judge the earth, for all the nations are your inheritance.’
All the nations? I thought we Christians (the spiritual Israel) were his inheritance.
I think you are right Bill. We are the reason for the season. All mankind.
Glad you took the time to read other comments also Linda. I appreciate that. And certainly agree with your last paragraph. Thanks. 🙂
GREAT post Bill! I’ve never thought of it that way, but from now on, I will. It’s so simple….but then again we are known to complicate simple things in this life. 🙂 By the way, Burl Ives sings a sweet version of “Holly Jolly Christmas”, my kids all loved it when they were little, so I have to say that song is one of my favs just because it reminds me of sitting around the kitchen table making Christmas cookies with my kids when they were young. WE are the reason for the season….awesome! Thanks Bill!
Hey Jan! that is the only version of the song I know. I will let you and Susan duke it out. i remember once going to visit you when the kids were around and you were making those cookies. Sure glad I didn’t eat any of them. 😉 Always good to hear from you.
haha! Those cookies are famous…..I would have students & teachers ask me if I was still making them. I have passed that onto Carol & she makes them perfectly, she sent some to the elementary school with Cory one day when he subbed & they thought I made them! haha!
Apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. If she cooks like you, Cory and child(ren) will love it!
Hi Bill,
I’ve never commented before, but I like reading your blog and comments.
A few years ago, during Christmas Season, I seen a church sigh that said “Jesus is the gift, You are the Reason!” That made me rethink the “Jesus is the Reason” slogan. I do think people mean well when they use that slogan, and at least it gets His Name out there among the hustle and bustle of the season, but as you (and others) said, we need to be sharing that Gift with others. That is what would make a real difference in our lives and the lives of others.
Thanks for the Tommy James memories too! 🙂 My sister and I listened to his music a lot.
Hi Nina! It is always good to have new visitors, especially those who like Tommy James. 🙂 I like the sign. It says what I am basically trying to say, only with a twist. Like you and some other commenters, I don’t think people mean anything by the saying, it is sometimes over done and loses its meaning. I would like to see us do a better job of sharing the message all year round. Thanks again for coming by. Hope to hear from you again.
Such a true statement about being the reason for the season(Why God came to this earth) God came to this earth for us , to lay down His life for us. I feel so humble when I think about it. This is the season we should think about what He has done for us. great post.
So true Dan. It is humbling. Thanks.