“Isn’t there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?”, yelled Charlie Brown. He asked this question in the middle of his frustration over the confusion about Christmas. And, you can’t blame him for asking, right?

Are there times you wonder about the true meaning of Christmas? Watch 10 Christmas movies and you’ll get 10 different explanations of the meaning of Christmas– joy, generosity, family, love, or Santa.

When asked, “What is Christmas all about?”, how do you answer?

• Is it about gratitude?
• Is it about giving to the less fortunate?
• Is it about spending time with loved ones?
• Is it about traditions?
• Is it about making memories?

Maybe you have heard the message, “Christmas has a different meaning for everyone.” That explanation might make you nod your head in agreement. But is it true?

The true meaning of Christmas can be found at the first ever Christmas. The word “Christmas” is a combination of “Christ” and “mass” (which means celebration). So, Christmas is the celebration of Christ. What we celebrate at Christmas is the birth of Jesus Christ.

Two thousand years ago, a baby was born in a barn. The baby wasn’t physically unusual– He wasn’t glowing and didn’t have a halo floating over His head. But, this was no ordinary baby; this baby was the Christ.

Christ is not Jesus’s last name. The word “Christ” means “chosen one”, which refers a chosen person sent by God to fix what is wrong with the world. The Christ would set things right and would begin the work of restoring everything to how it should be.

Jesus Christ came to save humanity from sin. We’ve all done, said, and thought things we shouldn’t have. The Bible calls this sin. We deserve eternal separation from the goodness of God for our sin; we deserve death for our sin. But, Jesus, the Christ, came to save us from our sin.

Jesus gave His life so that we could have true life in Him.

This Christmas, you may have a lot to enjoy. You may have time with you family, special memories, delicious food, or incredible gifts. These are great, but they can’t give you true life. And they are not what Christmas is all about. If you want true life, come to Jesus; come to the Christ sent to save sinners.

Christmas is all about Jesus! No matter what happens this Christmas season, remember the true meaning of this holiday. Remember the thought of that once-rotten, now-different Grinch:

“It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled ’till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.”

It is more; way more. Christmas is all about Jesus, the Christ, born to die for us.

If you’d like to learn more about Jesus, you are invited to join us at Anchor Church. Join us this Sunday or come to our candlelight Christmas Eve service. We’ll learn about and worship Jesus together!