Walking With the Word

Does Christianity ‘need’ Christmas? No. but it does carry a message of hope to the World.

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them light has shone … for unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given.” Isaiah 9:1,6

Fear Not; God is still in Control

So, you may hear that some will attempt to cancel Christmas, or at least play it down, and you might worry that Christianity is under attack, while other faith traditions grow in strength and prominence. Well, of course Christianity is under fire, it always will be, since the world is drunk on any other belief system but the truth—but there is no cause for concern; we have better news than all other belief systems, and even better news than, ‘Christmas is coming’ because God Himself has come. The story of His coming, in the person of Jesus as a helpless baby, will still be told and celebrated and will continue to bring hope to many; God is still in control of history. 

“Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? … He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision.”Psalm 2:1-4

In reality any attempt to ‘cancel’ God, or His Son, changes nothing; it’s a laughable concept.

There have been many societies that have tried to crush Christianity and the message of the Cross. Once it was lions in arenas under the Romans for daring to suggest that Caesar was not Lord; in modern times, perhaps totalitarian atheistic regimes, and in countries where other religious movements are very dominant, the Christian is persecuted. But, in all these times, Christianity grows rather than diminishes.  The church always grows faster when it is under persecution and oppression, because it stands out as a beacon of light to the world in stark contrast to the darkness which surrounds it.

In Western Society, the celebration of the first advent—the coming of God in the flesh—has been diluted because we have added a lot of noise to it: shop-til-you-drop materialism, over-indulgence, the myth of Father Christmas (fun though he be), and much more besides. Baring in mind Christmas, next to Easter, is the main annual Christian festival, you could be forgiven, in our culture, for having no clue what Christianity is about (the Church tries to remedy this each year with Advent themed services—what a wonderful opportunity). But, should this lack of clarity over the meaning of Christmas worry us? Does Christianity ‘need’ Christmas?

The Fundamentals of our Faith are True Regardless…

The fact remains that the good news message of Jesus coming in flesh—His living sinlessly among us; the efficacy of the Cross over sin; the power of His Resurrection in defeating Death and bringing life; His ascension, in victory, to the Father’s right hand to intercede and prepare a place for us—still stands and will always stand.

So, what does it matter if Christianity is rejected by society and Christmas permanently cancelled, nothing changes. Emmanuel—that is Jesus, who is God in the flesh—still came. Christians will still celebrate His coming and worship His Name.

His Coming is the Dawn of Hope…

While the world is still full of those, “without hope and without God in the world,” Jesus is still able to bring light, hope and salvation. And perhaps this is why we probably won’t ever really lose Christmas—cancelled or not—in its current form or not—because everyone longs for and needs hope; we have to be able to hold on to the idea that things can be better for us and for the world—and in Christ they can; in Christ all things will be reconciled and everything made right side up.

Hope is as powerful as it is necessary.

The need is great and universal.

The message of His coming still brings the only certainty of better things and hope into the world.

Faith in Christ for the forgiveness of sins still saves those who call upon His name, because:

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone … For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.”Isaiah 9:1,6-7

Enjoy the festive season, your families, your gifts and take all the opportunities it presents to hear and share the good news, but hold onto it lightly, because in the end, whether we ‘do Christmas’ or not, nothing changes the Gospel.

God does not need us to believe in Him for Him to be real. The message of Christmas is true and brings hope, whether we celebrate it or not. Whether we believe this or not, doesn’t negate the reality, that, “…God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” (John 3:16-17)