Keeping Christ in Christmas

Melissa Hart November 1, 2011 English 3134 R51

As the holidays are quickly approaching we begin to think about shopping. Many of us start looking for the Black Friday ads to see where the best deals will be. We wake as the sun begins to shine on November 25 to rush out to the packed stores in order to try and save a little money. As I sit here and ponder on Christmas gifts for my children, friends, and family my mind begins to travel to the true meaning of Christmas. People are so focused on gifts, Santa Claus, Rudolph, decorating, and the stress of getting everything together that we forget what Christmas is truly about. So many children are taught about Santa Claus while Jesus is never mentioned. The children are told If you are not good Santa will not bring you any toys. If we are to ask most children what Christmas is about they will answer presents. Like the majority of us, I was taught that Santa was real.

We went all out decorating the Christmas tree, listening to Christmas music, and baking Christmas candy. I did attend the church Christmas program every year and participated in it most years. I was also read the story of Jesus on Christmas morning before opening gifts. This is a tradition that I continue with my children. Christmas is a wonderful celebration of the birth of a precious baby; a Savior for the world. The wonderful Christmas story commences with the Virgin Mary and her fianc Joseph. The angel Gabriel spoke to Mary and said Dont be afraid, God has been very kind to you. You will become pregnant by the Holy Spirit and give birth to a baby boy and you will call him Jesus. He will be Gods own son and his kingdom will never end. Mary was frightened, but she trusted the Lord. Joseph was disturbed as well when he heard the news that a baby was on the way before the two were married. An angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and said Dont be afraid to have Mary as your wife. The angel explained to Joseph that Mary had been selected by God to be the mother of his son and that the baby would be named Jesus.

The Roman Emperor Augustus wanted to complete a census to make certain everyone paid their taxes Augustus then ordered every person to return to the town their families were from and enter their names on the register. Mary and Joseph headed out for their journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem where Josephs family was from. The journey was a long one, about 70miles, for an extremely pregnant Mary. Mary and Joseph reached Bethlehem and could not come across a place to stay. There were so many people traveling because of the order Augustus made that all the beds at the Inns and homes were full. The only place they could find to rest was a stable and this is where baby Jesus was born. An angel appeared to the shepherds outside of Bethlehem and said Dont be afraid. I have good news to bring. Today a Savior has been born for you. You will find him lying in a manger. The shepherds traveled to Bethlehem to see Jesus and tell everyone about the angel.

The night Jesus was born a new star appeared in the sky. The star could be seen from far away countries. Most people refer to the star as the beautiful star of Bethlehem. The Wise Men saw the star and followed asking Where is the King of the Jews? They to the stable where Jesus brought gifts of gold, They bowed down and it. They came to Jerusalem child who is born to be continued to follow the star was born. The Wise Men

frankincense, and myrrh. worshipped baby Jesus.

This baby born in a manger on a starry night in Bethlehem gave his life on a cross for our sins. He was tortured, beaten, battered, and bruised because of his unending love for us. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). How many of us would be willing to sacrifice our children for others? Christmas is one of the most wonderful times of the year. I enjoy spending time with my family as much as anyone else. Decorating the tree, making candy, listening to Christmas music, and family dinners are some of my favorite memories. I love to see the look on the faces of my boys when they get their gifts on Christmas morning. The one thing that I will not fail to do is

remind my children every year what Christmas truly is. We will continue to read the story of the birth of Jesus each year. My family makes Jesus a birthday cake and sings happy birthday to him. Everywhere we look people want to take Jesus from us just like removing prayer from school. Let us all keep him in our homes where he needs to be. Teach our children that there is more to Christmas than Santa, the elves, reindeer, and presents. The gift of Christmas isn't wrapped up in presents or parties. . Everyone enjoys giving and receiving gifts. The gift of Christmas is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Alpha and Omega. When we choose to follow him we may find that we spend less time in lines, less money, and more time with the people we love. We all need to remember that Jesus is the reason for the season.