Christmas Symbols - Part 1

 

 

 TEXT:  John 1:14  – “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

If we look for what is wrong with the Christmas season, we can surely find it. Like the Grinch, we can grumble and complain, becoming cold and cynical about what we see around us.

Nevertheless, if we look for the good, we can see this time of year with new eyes—perhaps even with the eyes of a child.

The Grinch saw the good in Christmas when he learned to look past its worldly trappings. If we do the same, we can, with the Grinch, proclaim: “Maybe Christmas … doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas … perhaps … means a little bit more!”

Our hearts may not grow three sizes as the Grinch’s did, but our hearts will change. Our eyes will open to the miracles all around us—at Christmastime and throughout the year. Over the next several days we will consider the Symbols of Christmas as we prepare to celebrate the wonder and majesty of the birth of Christ. 

Christmas is filled with symbols. A symbol is something that is used or understood to represent something else. It comes from the Greek word symbolon generally translated as sign.

The world has Santa Claus, tinsel, Christmas trees, snow, holly, mistletoe, and many other symbols. As Christians, we have unique symbols – such as shepherds, mangers, kings, stars, angels, music, giving to the needy as examples.

Why does God give us symbols? Dr. Elmer Towns likes to say, “God loves symbols.” Why – because He uses tangible things to help us be reminded of Him. There is much we can learn from these symbols, so join me with these Christmas devotions.

I pray that during this season and always, we will see the purity of the story of the Savior’s birth and feel sincere gratitude for His life, teachings, and saving sacrifice for us. May this gratitude cause us to renew our determination to follow Him. May it also lead us to draw closer to our family, our church, and our fellowmen. And may we look steadfastly forward to that blessed day when the resurrected Christ will walk the earth again as our Lord, our King, and our blessed Savior.