By Ptr. Gen Concepcion
At the heart of Christmas lies one astounding truth—a truth that reaches beyond tradition and decorations, a truth that goes past the superficial and settles deep into the spiritual. John 3:16 encapsulates this truth: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son…”
Christmas exists because Love Himself came near. God looked upon a broken world and chose to give what was most precious to Him—His Son—so that we could live. He wrapped divinity in fragile human flesh, placed Him in the arms of a young virgin mother, and sent Him into a world that desperately needed Him but did not know Him.
But What Have We Made of Christmas?
Every December, something awakens in us that makes our families come into sharper focus. We have turned Christmas into gift-giving, gathering, and fulfilling wishes. Not that there’s anything wrong with all of these. It’s just that we need to pause long enough to go back to the emotions of the first Christmas.
Christmas exists because God gave His child – a child born to be rejected, misunderstood, beaten, and ultimately killed. Behind the beauty of Christmas lights stands a Father’s aching gift.
When we look honestly, we see that what we’ve made of Christmas is so different from the event that began it. First, we center the holiday around fulfilling the desires of our children. Yet the first Christmas was about a Child fulfilling the desire of His Father—not for comfort or ease, but for salvation. For redemption. Jesus fulfilled His Father’s will – to save sinners. His obedience was an act of ultimate selflessness and unimaginable sacrifice.
As parents, we go out of our way to make sure our children’s eyes light up on Christmas morning. Because we love them so much, their wish lists suddenly feel like sacred missions. We work, plan, save, and sacrifice because we want their joy to be full. Christmas makes us tender. It softens us. But on the first Christmas morning, a Father’s heart broke because He sent His Son to a world that would push Him away. His heart was tender for His Son who had no inn to stay.
During Christmas we gather close with our families. But the first Christmas saw a family torn apart—one Father in heaven, and His only Son in a cold, unfamiliar, rejecting world. Imagine for a moment how God must have felt as He watched His Son laid in a feeding trough because there was no room anywhere else. He is not a distant or impassive God. He felt it. Some mornings I’d observe from a distance, heart aching as I watch my seven-year-old just stand there in line quietly as all the other kids are happily interacting with each other. He wasn’t necessarily being rejected, but I’d be happier if he was also laughing like the other kids. But Jesus? “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him,” (John 1:11).
Coming Back To The Real Spirit of Christmas
As we celebrate this season, let us enjoy gathering with family, exchanging gifts, and creating joyful memories. But let us also go back to the deeper spiritual essences of Christmas – sacrifice, selflessness, and love.
Christmas calls us to give—not just material things, but ourselves. Let us not allow the sights and sounds, the experiences and excitements, the schedules and schemes to render us cutting back on our service to God. Let us give our time to serve in the church. Let us join this month of joyful service. Let us share the gospel of the Lord, and bless those in need. When we do this, we reflect the true nature of Christmas.
Christmas is not just about receiving gifts or even giving them—it’s about offering ourselves in love, just as God gave His Son for us. This season, let us celebrate by not only loving our families but by extending that love to others, especially those who need to experience the light of God’s love. That is the true spirit of Christmas.
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