Almost Christmas!

The countdown is coming to an end. In two days it will be Christmas Day!  The decorating, shopping, baking, and so much more, will climax in all the celebrations and gatherings that take place on December 25. The day that we as Christians have set aside to remember our Savior’s birth is almost here. It’s almost Christmas!  

For me, the month of December can feel a bit frenzied. As a pastor I’m working hard to make sure the services for the month and especially for Christmas Eve (and this year Christmas Day) will inspire our congregation to worship and help us remember why it is we celebrate Christmas in the first place. And, as a husband and father I’m busy helping decorate, get the cards in the mail, shop for gifts, and prepare our home for guests. (I don’t do any of the baking!) Admittedly, I can go a bit overboard, especially when it comes to the filling  of the Christmas stockings. Now that it’s almost Christmas, I can feel the momentum moving quickly towards that very special day. As of the writing of this blog, Christmas is almost here!

As I think about it being almost Christmas, I wonder what it was like for Mary and Joseph as they got closer and closer to their first Christmas—i.e., the actual birth of the miracle baby in Mary’s womb. What we do know is that, instead of Mary relaxing her last few days before giving birth, she found herself on the road from Nazareth to Bethlehem. That was 90 miles of treacherous road—a trip that would have taken about one week if they traveled close to eight hours a day. And once arriving in Bethlehem, poor Joseph finds himself scrounging for a place for them to stay, wherein Mary might give birth. I  would say, those final days leading up to that first Christmas were a bit more frenzied than anything we experience leading up to Christmas today. For Mary and Joseph, their “almost Christmas” days were most likely filled with their share of worry, anxiety, fear, confusion, and probably a bit of exhaustion. 

Yet, through it all and in spite of it all, Christmas came! As the gospel writer Luke so simply put it, “While they were there (in Bethlehem), the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son.” (Luke 2:6-7 – NIV)  Jesus our Savior was born!  There he was, wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.  Christmas had arrived. And from that moment on, our world has never been the same. 

I pray that in these final days before Christmas—maybe in the midst of the last minute frenzy you may be experiencing—you would be filled with joy, knowing that one day, long ago, our Savior was born! And because he came, your life need never been the same again!

Have a great day! Merry Christmas! 

- Pastor Tim Harris