The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…
"The Meaning"
Christmas 2025
Amid the happy moments of the season, I recently experienced a particularly sad occasion upon hearing a lady describe what Christmas means to her.
"It primarily means family, and being together, gathering to enjoy one another's company, sharing a meal and gifts, and being glad to have time together."
The woman responded during a tour of her beautiful home in New York City, decorated with lovely trees, wreaths, and all the elements that have come to characterize so much of the Christmas commemoration and festivities. I enjoyed seeing the fruits of her creativity and her obvious desire to make the season special to family, friends, and her own heart. One could not see her home without appreciating the time, effort, expense, and obvious delight she expended to commemorate Christmas.
My sadness, however, resulted from the woman's response that Christmas does not mean to her the very beating Heart of the season. I so wish for her and pray for her that in time to come, she might respond to any question about what Christmas means with this:
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).
Every tradition and observance of Christmas bows before the true glory of its reality and significance. We can appreciate and enjoy the elements of the season without doing injury to its wondrous true reality and meaning. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son" must be so central in our observance of Christmas that nothing else compares. Christmas is indeed Christ, the remembrance and affirmation of His entrance into the world, and of all that will eternally proceed from the wonder of His incarnation, life, death, resurrection, and coming reign. Yes, we could lose everything else that graces the season, but so long as John 3:16 abides, so will Christmas and it glorious meaning.
"And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son."
(I John 5:11)
Weekly Memory Verse
I am the Lord. I change not.
(Malachi 3:6)
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