When we think of Christmas, I think many of us think of warm, fuzzy-feeling things like a baby in a manger, a smiling Mary, a supportive Joseph, furry barn animals…along with family, warm blankets, snuggles, presents, etc. None of those are necessarily wrong, per se, but they are more memories than anything. In the making of memories, we tend to forget the real reason we needed a Christmas in the first place. Even in our need for Christmas, I’m not sure we always get that 100% right. Jesus came as a baby in a manger, born to a virgin (Mary), who was betrothed to Joseph. Yes, He came to save the people from their sin. That’s part of it, but not the full story. First John 3:8 fills in more of the reason Jesus came, as it tells us, “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.”

In the same way, 1 John illustrates a better picture as to what Jesus came to do, there are a few more terms around Christmas that I think not all of us get right. The Bible does a great job at clarifying some popular terms like hope, love, joy, and peace. I think the world (and even Christians) doesn’t always understand the full context of those terms as we see them regularly in windows and yard displays, and sing about them in our traditional Christmas songs. We think about hope for a good future, for our family to get along, for healing, etc. We think about love for our family and others. We think about the joy surrounding Christmas and everything it entails. We think about peace in our families and in our world. Allow me to provide a few insights into what the Bible has to say about these Christmas terms. 

Hope

Romans 8:23-24 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. 

1 Peter 1:3-5 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

The Bible tells us our hope isn’t anything that is from this world or even in this world. We have hope in our adoption as sons and daughters through the finished work of Christ. Our hope comes from the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, giving us life everlasting with God forever.  That is our hope not only at this time of the year, but each day of our lives. It should move us to worship—especially this time of the year.

Love

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

God’s love was so great for us that he sent his only Son. He wanted and desired to be with us forever…so he sent his Son to destroy the works of the devil to make a way for us to be with him. 

Joy

Hebrews 12:1-2 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

As we think about our joy and where it should be found, we need to think about Jesus and how he endured the cross by looking to the JOY that was set before him. That joy had to have been absolutely incredible and worth it for Him to endure that much pain and, ultimately, death. Do we consider God a big enough joy in our lives that we would absolutely do anything for him? When we sing “Joy to the World”, do we see Him as our joy? And is He worth it? 

Peace

Ephesians 2:13-16 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. 

Perhaps one of the most misunderstood terms of Christmas is peace. Born into sin, we were at odds with a holy God. We were hostile to God. We needed a “peace-maker.” Let that sink in a bit… Jesus is that peace for us—for those who believe. Since we now have peace through Christ, we are now reconciled to that holy God through the cross. What an incredible promise. 

In consideration of all the terms at Christmas that get misunderstood, I did my best to tie them all together. I’m hoping this brings clarity in how we view this special holiday, and, more importantly, that it brings more worship and glory to the one who is worthy and deserving of all our praise. I sum it up with the following: 

God LOVED you so much to send his Son…and in the Son’s JOY, Jesus went to the cross, destroying the works of the devil and giving us PEACE with God and HOPE for eternal life with him. He came to make a way back to Him…pretty incredible.