The meaning of Christmas and the big do-over

The Christmas holiday is over. That sacred day is now in the rearview mirror. In the busyness of it all, do we ever stop to ask, “Why do we need Christmas?”

According to the Bible, the answer goes back to the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve made poor choices, sin entered the world and fellowship with God was broken. What does a holy God do if He desires to maintain intimacy with His creation?

In the most lavish display of love ever known, God sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to be born of a virgin so the sinful bloodline passed down from Adam could be cut. Jesus lived a sinless life, fulfilling all the Old Testament laws and requirements that we never could. He took our punishment, died in our place and presented those who believe in His name as holy and blameless before the Father, resulting in eternal life.

The sacred celebration of Christmas we observed was God’s “big do-over,” or as computer programmers might say, “Fellowship 2.0.”

The apostle Paul wrote: “The first man, Adam, became a living person, but the last Adam, Christ, is a life-giving Spirit. What comes first is the natural body, then the spiritual body comes later. Adam, the first man, was made from the dust of the earth, while Christ, the second man, came from heaven. Earthly people are like the earthly man, and heavenly people are like the heavenly man. Just as we are now like the earthly man, we will someday be like the heavenly man.”

The big do-over. Nothing compares.

As the joy, anticipation and busyness of Christmas fade into the quieter, colder months of January, February and March, do not forget the words of Mary after the angelic visitation, when she said, “My soul magnifies the Lord.”

A magnifying glass brings things closer and makes them appear bigger. Jesus is bigger than our problems and bigger than our fears. Let us be magnifiers of Jesus 12 months a year and make Him bigger in every area of our lives. The God of the big do-over has given humanity the greatest second chance in history.

Ken Staley is pastor of Faith Church of Pleasant Grove at 9:30 a.m. and Harrisville Methodist Church at 11 a.m. Both are Global Methodist congregations. He may be reached by text at 918-852-9797.