Christmas: its your story to tell

Does it ever surprise you that each year the whole world stops to celebrate the birth of Jesus? Despite the increasing commercial and secular focus of the season, Christmas is fundamentally about one thing – Jesus. So how do you bring Jesus into focus? How can you make the most of Christmas by talking to your yet-to-believe friends and family about Jesus?

Everybody loves a good story and Christmas is the ultimate story. Stories have a powerful way of communicating truth in our culture, and the best thing about the Christmas story is that we are part of the story. Eugene Petersen framed it perfectly in his paraphrase of John 1:14 – “The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood.” Jesus moved into OUR neighborhood.

Throughout history, humanity has told stories as a means to share traditions and to remember the past. The story of Christmas goes deeper than that. As we celebrate and share the story of Jesus' birth, God is inviting us all into the Great Narrative that He has written out over history. This narrative is not fiction; it’s the ultimate true story. A story of sacrifice, redemption, and good overcoming evil. We’re a part of it – but the ultimate hero of the story is Jesus.

Ever binge-watched a TV series and enjoyed it so much you insisted on telling everyone you knew to watch it too? Well, yeah, who hasn’t! The Christmas story is like the ultimate TV series. What better time to talk about Jesus and invite your friends and family into their own stories of following Him.

So many of our Christmas traditions have their genesis in Jesus. Here are 3 ways you can use Christmas traditions to bring Jesus into your conversations:

1. Gifts

Jesus was first given as a gift to the world. In that spirit, today we give gifts to the people we hold the closest.

2. Carols

Most of the traditional Christmas carols we sing are actually worship songs about Jesus. Don’t believe me? Go re-read the lyrics to songs like Joy To The World or Hark The Herald Angels Sing.

3. Candy Canes

Yes, even candy canes. Originally created by a German choirmaster to keep the kids quiet during the nativity play. The ‘sugar stick’ was fashioned into a shepherd's cane and colored red and white. The shepherd's cane represents Jesus’ humble beginnings, the white stripes represent his holiness, and the red stripes represent the blood of his eventual sacrifice on the cross.

Christmas holds a special meaning for everyone, but according to God’s great narrative:

• Christmas means you are not alone.
• Christmas means you are loved.
• Christmas means God’s in control.
• Christmas means good will one day overcome evil.

Make the most of this Christmas season and take the time to invite your friends and family who don’t follow Jesus into their own redemption stories.

BIBLE VERSES

John 1:14 – “The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood.”

Matthew 1:21-23 – “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).”

Luke 2:6-7 – “And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.”