My Christmas post

This will be my inaugural post here. Let me start by saying that Christians tend to "overdo" this particular holiday. Shouldn't we, one asks, promote "peace on Earth" and "goodwill toward men"? I definitely agree that we should, by all means. My issue is (almost) purely theological, not completely political or sociological, though I have some "different" views there as well.

The fact is that Christmas celebrates the entry of Jesus into mankind, literally becoming one of His names listed in Isaiah, Immanuel, God with us. This is indeed something to be celebrated. The Incarnation is the beginning of the redemption story proper. Everything up to this point is prologue. Here, Christ Himself enters into the story, not as a Christophany or in the form of the Angel of the Lord, but as God the Son in flesh. This is indeed something to be treasured, but it is only the beginning of the story. This is Act One: The Incarnation. Act Two was the The Ministry of the Son of God, in which He taught about the Kingdom of God and how to follow Him. The final is Act Three: The Sacrifice and Triumph. We celebrate this at Easter and this is the focus of my point here.

Easter is the very essence of Christianity. While Christmas celebrates His entry, Easter remembers His purpose. It was when Christ both satisfied God's justice and made a way for us sinners to experience His love and grace. That is just not the story of Christmas. While Christmas is all about love, despite the commercialization, and its importance is valid, it makes no provision for our salvation. It is the beginning, but not the application. The story of Calvary, which is found solely in the Easter story, is the story of why Christ came as well as how this applies to us. Easter is the defining story of Christianity, not Christmas.

Christmas has also been appropriated by those of other faith and even followers of no religion at all. As I mentioned above, it is the most commercial of the Christian holidays. I think that we have actually come to depend on it as a nation, economically speaking. There is also the move to separate it so far from its religious meaning and history that the grinches among us will only be happy when it is referred to as a generic holiday season or just Mas. And, please, don't tell me that there aren't people who want exactly that specific outcome; it's the same people who want to do away with "In God We Trust" on our money and any public acknowledgement of God whatsoever. Not to mention that there is now the attitude that Christmas is an "American" holiday as opposed to its real identity: a universal Christian day of celebration.

Why we have such a high view of Christmas and such a different view of Easter, though, I do believe I have deciphered. Only Christians can really appreciate its true meaning. Anyone can understand the universality of God's love that is the underpinning of Christmas. Believers are the only ones who have experienced the miracle of Easter. It requires that the believer actually make Jesus Christ the Lord of his or her life. And that is the reason that Christmas is more popular than Easter. Everyone wants to know about God's love, but no one wants to submit to Him. That is the nature of the human: My will will prevail above all others', including God's.