Saving Christmas

With Christmas coming up soon and all the controversy in the world, this seems like a great time to take a moment and think about what it all means.

Saving Christmas is a film defending some of the Christmas traditions that are a part of many of our lives.

Kirk Cameron goes on to defend;

1. The Nativity Scene
2. Christmas Trees
3. Who is Santa Claus
4. Choosing Joy at Christmas
5. The Ultimate Gift: Jesus Christ

 

Here is an excerpt from this unique film,

The Nativity Set.

As much as we know that the birth of Christ is at the center of Christmas, it’s amazing how often our nativity ends up tucked away in some corner to make room for the tree…or the presents…or the decorations…or even the hot chocolate and cookies!

As we make a choice to save Christmas this year, let’s start by putting our nativity scene from and center. And as we do, let’s also remember to have a cross nearby as well.  Does that seem strange?

Then look closely at your nativity set. See those wise men bearing gifts?

Since we were little, we’ve been able to probably declare what they brought to the baby Jesus: gold, frankincense, and myrrh (even if we couldn’t always correctly pronounce frankincense!).

Gold is a generous gift from wealthy friends. But ask Kirk says, “Did you ever wonder why the wise men brought frankincense and myrrh at Jesus birth? Those are burial spices. Why would they bring burial spices to a baby shower?

Then notice the swaddling clothes. The next time they show up in the story is at Jesus’s death, when he is taken from the cross, wrapped in cloths and placed in a different cave.

 

Jesus was born into the world to die for our sins. But as Kirk shares with Christian, had Herod had His way, Jesus would’ve died as a baby, long before he reached the cross. We read in Matthew of Herod’s soldiers taking babies from their mothers and killing them in the hopes that this would be the end of a short-lived reign for the newborn King.

 

Their plan failed…because it wasn’t God’s plan. As Kirk says: Jesus was “a baby who came to die-but not until the appointed time.”

 

1 Peter 3:15 (NASB95)  but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;