June 26, 1870. That is the date that the United States of America recognized Christmas as a federal holiday. It is the date that the United States of America officially recognized the birth of Jesus. Since then many have celebrated Christmas, and many still do.
In fact, according to Pew Research, nine in ten Americans celebrate Christmas. However, while Christmas continues to play a very large role in the lives of many Americans, there has come a great disagreement as to why people celebrate Christmas, and that disagreement grows each year. According to a Pew Research poll, only 46% of the 90% of Americans who celebrate Christmas, celebrate Christmas for religious purposes; that is down from 51% in 2013. In other words, not everyone who places Christmas lights outside, a tree up in their home, and presents under the tree do so with Christ in mind.
With this in mind my aim is to answer the question: Why celebrate Christmas? My goal in answering this question is this: for you to know and believe in the message of Christmas. So, why celebrate Christmas? The answer I hope you will see in the Scriptures is this: God has sent us a Savior, whose name is Jesus, who is the Christ, the Anointed one, the Messiah, who is able save and deliver and rescue sinful people from every nation and language and tribe from their sins. So, let’s get to it.
We should celebrate Christmas because it is the proclamation of good news.
In Luke 2:8-10, we read that the same time Jesus was born, in the same region, shepherds were tending to their flocks over night. As they were doing so, “an angel of the Lord shone around them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them”.
How do you think the shepherds felt that night? Here they were minding their own business. They were doing what shepherds do, watching and protecting the sheep, and all of a sudden an angel appeared in the glory of God. I am sure they were filled with awe, but the text tells us they were also “filled with great fear”. And I am certain we all would be.
But when the angel appeared to these shepherds, the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news…” Now those two words “good news” are one word in the Greek – euaggelizó. And that word means, to announce or herald or proclaim a good message. So, Christmas is about the proclamation, the announcement, and the heralding of good news.
But Christmas is not just about the proclamation of good news, it’s the proclamation of good news that brings about real and everlasting joy.
The angel in Luke 2:10 states, “I bring you good news of great joy….” Note, that this is just not any kind of joy, it is “good news of great joy”. In other words, this “good news” that is being heralded by this angel to these shepherds is a message that brings about great delight and happiness and satisfaction and gladness and elation and wonder and even great comfort.
Now the Greek word for joy here is chara, pronounced kharah. Understanding that is important, why? Because the Greek word for joy here does not simply mean that this message of good news being proclaimed is “of great joy”, it literally means this message of “good news” is the source of great joy and great gladness. Meaning great joy originates with the “good news” this angel is now announcing to these shepherds. Which also means if you desire great joy in your life, you must pay attention and receive and understand the “good news” this angel is now announcing. The question is: who is this message of “good news of great joy” for?
It’s for all people.
The angel in Luke 2:10 said, “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” The good news this angel pronounced that night to those shepherds as they tended their flocks by night is for everybody. It’s for anybody. It’s for those who are young and those who are old. It is for every person of every language and every tribe and every nation. The question is: what is this message of “good news of great joy” that is for all people?
It’s the announcement of a Savior.
In Luke 2:11 the angel said, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior….” The city of David is the town of Bethlehem, and the angel is announcing that a Savior has been born there. Now the word “Savior” means Deliverer, Preseverer, and Rescuer. So, the good news of this proclamation is that someone who is able to save, someone who is able to deliver, someone who is able to rescue has been born into the world in the small town of Bethlehem, which is the city of David. But, who is this “Savior”?
The Savior is the Christ.
In Luke 2:11, the angel announced, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” The word “Christ” in the Greek is Christos. It means Anointed one or Messiah. So, the good news of this proclamation is the Christ, the Anointed one, the Messiah, the one who is able to save and deliver and rescue has been born into the world. But what is his name?
His name is Jesus.
In Luke 2:21, after the shepherds had gone to behold the Savior, who is the Christ, being full of wonder and praising God Almighty, we read, “he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.” So, the good news of this proclamation is that Jesus, who is the Christ, the Anointed one, the Messiah, who is able to save and deliver and rescue has been born into the world in the small town of Bethlehem. But, why name him Jesus? And who is he able to save and deliver and rescue? And what is he saving and delivering and rescuing from?
His name is Jesus because he was born into the world to save sinners.
Matthew 1:21 states, “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” The purpose of his birth is in his name. The name Jesus means, Yahweh saves or Yahweh is salvation. So Jesus, who is the Christ, who is the Anointed one, who is the Messiah, who is able to save and deliver and rescue, has come into the world to save and deliver and rescue sinful people from every tribe and every language and every nation, from their sins.
That’s why the angel’s proclamation is “good news” for all people.
It’s “good news” because everyone of us are sinful people in need of rescuing and delivering and saving. It’s “good news” because God has sent us a Savior whose name is Jesus. It’s “good news” because Jesus has come not to condemn the world, but to save it. It’s “good news” because Jesus came to redeem us from the curse of the law. It’s “good news” because Jesus has come to pay the ransom for the sins of the world by the shedding of his blood. It’s “good news” because God did not spare his only Son, but gave him up for us all.
This is also why this “good news” results in real and everlasting “joy” for all people.
It’s the joy of knowing your sins have been atoned for by the shedding of Jesus’ blood. It’s the joy in knowing there is no condemnation for those who believe in Jesus Christ. It’s the peace and joy you can have in knowing that you have been saved from your sins, rescued from eternal damnation, and safely delivered into the hands of Almighty God who will never let you go.
That is why we celebrate Christmas. It’s why this nation has celebrated Christmas as a federal holiday since June 26, 1870.
We celebrate Christmas because of the “good news of great joy” that has come into the world. That good news is this: God has sent us a Savior, whose name is Jesus, who is the Christ, the Anointed one, the Messiah, who is able save and deliver and rescue sinful people from every nation and language and tribe from their sins. Therefore, as you go about this Christmas week giving, exchanging, and opening presents, keep in mind the greatest gift given of all – Jesus. He is God’s gift to the world for salvation for all people. And my prayer is that all of you have accepted God’s gift of salvation.
I want you to know that God loves each of you. His love was demonstrated on the cross at Calvary through the death of his only Son. That’s why Jesus was born. He was born into the world so that he could die for the world, so our sins could be forgiven and so we can have a personal and intimate relationship with God. And if you are wanting, you can have a personal relationship with God, but to do that, you must repent of your sins and put your faith in God’s only Son, Jesus Christ, and believe he died for the forgiveness of your sins and was resurrected for your justification. Merry Christmas.