"Isn't there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?" cries out Charlie Brown in a classic Christmas special scene. "Sure," responds his friend Linus, "I can tell you what Christmas is all about." Linus takes center stage, and tells Charlie Brown and everyone present the story of the first Christmas. He recites the gospel of Luke in chapter 2 from verses 8 to 14:
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom His favor rests.”
From the first time Linus said these words on national television, audiences have admired this scene. It's been embraced by Christians, but also non-believers. Some of those who are anti-Christ have said they admire this scene, because it tells a nice story about how people should be kind to each other. It's not a story about worshiping Jesus. It is instead about generosity, and how people helped each other out. So, is that all the story of the first Christmas is? Is it just a nice story?
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| If the first Christmas is just a "nice" story, then reading it is just as useful as reading other "nice" stories about Santa, reindeer and presents (1 Corinthians 15:14). |
Taking a look at the Christmas story, as it's written in Luke chapter 2, there are a handful of central characters. There is the young woman named Mary who gives birth to a baby named Jesus. There's also the shepherds who live just outside of the town where Mary and Jesus are, and there's also the angels who tell the shepherds about Jesus' birth. If this story is just a nice story about people helping each other, then these characters (or at least one of these characters) should demonstrate an observable kindness to someone else, or exhibit an act of generosity from which readers are supposed to learn.
Based on Luke chapter 2 from verses 8 to 14, there doesn't appear to be any moment where the characters do anything apparently kind. At face value, the story revolves around shepherds listening to a message from angels about a pregnant woman who gave birth. There's no display of charitable giving in that. Well, what if the scope of our text was widened to Luke chapter 2 from verses 1 through 20? Now, there's even less signs of apparent kindness. There's an inconsiderate king who forces his subjects to move hundreds of miles, for the sake of one census (1-2). There's a whole town of people unable to let a pregnant woman stay somewhere else other than a place for animals (7). Even the shepherds, after they receive the angels' message, go into town, find the baby, and then promptly go away (17). Considering the shepherds didn't give anything to Mary or Jesus (they didn't even stay to change a diaper), it doesn't look like they helped her out. Plainly looking at this "nice" story, it doesn't seem to be about kindness or generosity. Actually, it looks like it's about nothing at all.
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| Nativity sets represent a condensed telling of the Christmas story. To unbelievers who put them up Paul might say, they are "objects of worship...to an unknown god. So [unbelievers] are ignorant of the very thing [they] worship," (Acts 17:23). |
If this story really is what Christmas is all about, then what is this story all about?
This story is about Jesus. Everything written in Luke chapter 2 centers around Him, who He is and how the characters respond to Him. Before Jesus is born, the writer addresses that His earthly father is from "the house and line of David," meaning Jesus is of a royal line, even though His family is clearly not treated like royalty (4). When the shepherds are told about Jesus' birth, the angels say they have brought, "good news that will cause great joy for all the people," (10). This news is that a savior has been born; one who is the Lord (11). Then the angels praised God, and said there would be peace on earth to those on whom His favor rests (14). The shepherds hurry to see their savior and their Lord (16), and after they see Him, "they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them," (17-18). Mary considers the shepherds' response to her newborn to be worthy of treasuring (19), and all the shepherds return to their field, "glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told," (20).
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| The events in Luke are not just a story, but are history. In the same way Jesus was born just as the shepherds were told, (Luke 2:20), Jesus lived just as the gospel writers have told (Luke 1:1-4). |
Everything that happens in this story occurs, because Jesus is born. At first glance it seems rather odd how everyone reacts to the birth of an infant who cannot do anything for them. A clearer focus, though, reveals this child is described as the Lord, and our characters in this story "know that the Lord is God; besides Him there is no other," (Deuteronomy 4:35). This means Jesus is God. Not only this, but He is also the Savior, and everyone whom He loves will have peace (Luke 2:11,14). He came to rescue people as their benevolent king from heaven (John 18:36), but many people did not receive Him (John 1:11). These people did not believe what was said of Him, "yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God," (John 1:12). Those who believe in God are not blind to who Jesus is, for God opens His children's eyes to see Him clearly (Luke 24:31). Only those with opened eyes know that the first Christmas tells of when "The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. [Those who believe] have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth," (John 1:14).
The Christmas story is not a "nice" story, but a powerful story! It is about Jesus, the one who came to save those who made no room for Him. He came to the earth out of more than just generosity and kindness, for He came out of grace and peace. Those who know Him have seen His glory and are filled with overwhelming joy. They will praise God in a cold dark night and for the rest of their days.
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| "That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown." |
Do you hear the sound?
A thousand angels are singing out
To God Almighty we're bowing down
And that's what Christmas is all about!
Light me up and I'll show you the way
Every year can't wait for Christmas day
Light me up, I finally figured out
What Christmas is all about!
- Owl City
Sources
- The Bible (New International Version)
- A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
- Owl City: Light of Christmas
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