The True Meaning of Christmas

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The True Meaning of Christmas

Mon, 2007/12/10 - 3:48pm — Quartz

I can remember there being a period when I first understood the whole “true meaning of Christmas” thing that every Christian seems to learn growing up. It isn't about Santa or decorations or getting presents; it's about baby Jesus and Luke 2:8-18 and giving presents. Like that one Peanuts Christmas special, a McGee and Me Christmas episode, and the Vegetales story with Buzzsaw Louis. Even How the Grinch Stole Christmas had a vague form of the same theme. (“Dahoo Dorris” is much less specific than “Christ is born,” ...)

Of course, this never really had the impact for me that it might for other families, because our parents never led us to believe in Santa Claus in the first place and we would watch some Christian Christmas thing every year.

And last year when I really did start to contemplate Christmas, it came at a rather interesting time in my walk with God. I missed the point with gusto.

This season, I reaized that my impression of the whole “true meaning of Christmas” didn't make much sense. I was accepting it, but it wasn't really inspiring to me like it seemed it should be.

See, I figured that the story about Jesus' birth was just one of those supporting backgrounds to the applicable parts of Scripture. He came to earth so He could die on the cross for our sins, and say “It is finished,” not so people could gather 'round His manger and “Ooh” and ”Ah” at His fat baby cheeks all night. Celebrating His birth would be tantamount to tearing up over the genealogies in Genesis; they're necessary to our understanding of Scripture, but they're not the really cool parts.

I found the answer to this misconception of mine in probably one of the most well-known Christmas hymns, one day a week or two ago when I was in my room busily wrapping presents. Silent Night was running through my head, but I wasn't paying it much attention. It would loop several times on each line of the song before moving on to the next one.

It wasn't until I got to the last stanza at “... with the dawn of redeeming grace. Jesus, Lord at Thy birth. Jesus, Lord at Thy birth,” that I thought much about it. The dawn of redeeming grace?

Of course! When Jesus said “It is finished,” there had to be a beginning, too. Read any of the Gospels, and you'll find that the forgiveness of sins was being preached and bestowed during Jesus' ministry. Jesus was Lord at His birth, not just at His death and resurrection. The New Testaments began with the Christmas story, not with His sacrifice on the cross.

That redeeming grace is what brings me to get out of bed in the morning. That redeeming grace is what I live on, and draw my joy from. And Christmas is the celebration of its dawn.

Suddenly I'm celebrating Christmas like I never have before, and plan to continue doing so long after Christmas's actual arrival this year!

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Comments

Mon, 2007/12/10 - 3:58pm — Mariel 7

awwwwwwww

Quartz, I'm tearing up as I read this. I love the way you phrase these truths frankly but with style. Thank you so much for sharing this Quartz

I remember when I was little, my parents never really told me anything about Santa or elves or anything. They never really said anything one way or the other. One day when I was about 6 I came home from school and flat out asked them, "Mommy and Daddy ... Is Santa real?" They kinda looked at me then said, "No honey, Santa's not real. Now we have some questions for you" "Ok"

"Is the Easter bunny real?" "No."

"Are leprechauns real?" "No."

"Are fairies real?" (That was a little harder )"No?"

"But is Jesus real?" "Yeah"

"Well, I guess that answers that, sweetie "

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Truly Random Anime Quote:

Sano - Well, it's not that weird. Even waiting till she was 18 to get married is kinda unusual.

Megumi - {28 yrs.} What are you implying

*really awkward silence*

Sano - Not...a...thing...

—

The normal ones are boring. They all run-off screaming toward sanity. We just sit there at laugh at their sad attempts.

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Mon, 2007/12/10 - 5:15pm — Quartz

Wow

That's cool. Your parents sound very wise.

Mariel 7 said:

Quartz, I'm tearing up as I read this. I love the way you phrase these truths frankly but with style. Thank you so much for sharing this Quartz

Oh, thank you! Hehe, thanks! No problem.

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Gaussian blur fixes everything.

—

“[Jesus said,] ‘Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.’” –Matthew 24:35 (ESV)

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Tue, 2007/12/11 - 9:45am — Aisling

Mariel is right.

Quartz, you've changed so much. Looking back at your old comment, it seems just a really long rant.

But this one is so concise and clear and to the point. Quite a contrast.

And you are so right too. I'd say more but you said it all so beautifully. So, I'm behind you all the way.

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A wise man once said, "A joke untold is one not laughed at."

—

You know how to raspberry, don't you Steve? You just put your tongue out and blow.

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Tue, 2007/12/11 - 5:00pm — Quartz

Aww...

Thank you so much, Aisling!

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Gaussian blur fixes everything.

—

“[Jesus said,] ‘Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.’” –Matthew 24:35 (ESV)

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Wed, 2007/12/12 - 9:12am — SangMing

Insight

Quartz, you're so special! I was feeling this same thing this year before I heard your insights. I must admit that Christmas had begun to be less special to me. Because we avoid so much of the worldly emphasis, it seems that we celebrate less and less. As if Resurrection Day is the big celebration and Christmas is just a day that the world has gotten hold of. We can all feel warm and fuzzy about the baby in the manger without having to do anything about the man on the cross.

But this year feels different to me. And you've helped put it into words. Thanks!

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I get up, I walk, I fall down. Meanwhile, I keep dancing. - Hillel

—

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I get up, I walk, I fall down. Meanwhile, I keep dancing. - Hillel

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Wed, 2007/12/12 - 11:42am — Crazy J

Quotage!

that one peanuts christmas special...

That's the nice thing about Chanukah. You'll never see "You're a putz, Charlie Brown".

And my latest acting coach? I had him tortured, thrown in the dungeon, and... well, let's just say he's in a happier place now.

Dr. Doom

—

"Have you seen how much cotton candy he can eat?"

"Yes! 5.1 Pounds. That's why his blood is so good on pancakes!"

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Thu, 2007/12/13 - 1:21pm — Quartz

X3

SangMing said:

Quartz, you're so special!

*lol* Thanks!

SangMing said:

But this year feels different to me. And you've helped put it into words. Thanks!

That's really encouraging. Thanks, SangMing!

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Gaussian blur fixes everything.

—

“[Jesus said,] ‘Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.’” –Matthew 24:35 (ESV)

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Thu, 2007/12/13 - 2:55pm — gnome

keeping Christmas

the gnome keeps Christmas the whole year, but puts the lights away sometime after the middle of January...the gnome's hero is the Grinch who went years without the true meaning of Christmas and then...you know the real story (not the jim carrey version)

It doesn't stop being magic just because you learn how it's done.

—

Name a shrub after me...something prickly and hard to eradicate.

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Thu, 2007/12/13 - 8:08pm — Mariel 7

YAY

Yesterday, I went to a party at my church and they performed "The Grinch" on the spot with random people from the audience (not me ) and it was AMAZING. The grinch was a really gothic girl (who couldn't stop laughing) nad Cindy Lou Who was a big, black guy on his knees. Mama Liddel read the story and they all had to mime it ... I've never seen anything funnier ... except me, Lilly, and Jeffy (also a girl ) attempting to act out LOTR: Therapy Session ... yeah