saltandlight

What are the things that we think about this time of year?  Christmas time…  I asked my Sunday School class this question yesterday and this is what they came up with…

Jesus’ birth, Family, Food, Lights, Movies, Music, Gifts

If you think about all of these things and what they have to do with Christmas, you can trace it back to one common denominator. Love.  Jesus was born as God’s gift to us because God loves us (and Jesus loves us).  Family – we spend time with family because we love them. Food – is the thing that alot of us use to bring everyone together and it is a way to show our love (by cooking their favorite things). Lights – people put out Christmas lights as a way to spread Christmas joy and they do it out of love.  Gifts – we give gifts to those we love at Christmas to show our love to each other (as the wisemen brought gifts to baby Jesus). Movies – the class thought they had me on this one. So I challenged them to name a Christmas movie and I will show you how it is at least connected to love. They gave me some hard ones – The Grinch, The Santa Claus (all 3), Polar Express, Elf just to name a few. (And I was able to make the connection).  Music – We use Christmas music as a way to spread Christmas cheer and spread the story of Jesus’ birth, which comes from love.

So, you see?  Christmas is all about LOVE.  The reason for Christmas was because of God’s gift to us. He came to earth in the form of a baby just so that He could one day die on the cross for our sins.  If that isn’t love, I don’t know what is!

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. – John 3:16