In an award winning essay a young boy expressed his desire to have a Christmas tree. His mother would not allow him to have one because of the connotations of idol worship. This young boy made his case by outlining how his mother had taught him about Jesus and he understood the true meaning of Christmas. His prayer was that his mother would let him have a Christmas tree.
I was touched by the young boy’s earnest and sincere plea. You see, all too often we grasp a hold of something and stand on it as gospel. How many of us worship Christmas Trees? Not many, if any.
Perceived idol worship can be visualized in many forms. You see many of us take pride in wearing designer clothes and other paraphernalia. Is that worshipping them? This young man made a valuable point that if he completely understands the meaning of Christmas as being the birth of Jesus Christ why would he be denied having a tree.
You see, Christmas is a sacred time. Although our society has commercialized Christmas beyond recognition, you must always keep at the forefront what Christmas is all about. It is about a selfless act of love that God bestowed upon the earth with the priceless gift of His Son, Jesus, so we could not only have an abundant life here on earth, but we would have eternal life as well.
I ran across an article in the World NetDaily by Gary DeMar that identified some key elements to reinforce this young boy’s debate.
“Just because pagans might have used trees to worship their gods does not mean that we can’t use them to teach us something about God who has given us the “indescribable gift” of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 9:15). The Christmas tree, as it is now designated, is an evergreen that reminds us that we have “eternal life” in Jesus Christ (John 6:40). The shape of the tree reminds us that we are “born from above” (John 3:3). The needles on the branches remind us that Jesus was “pierced through for our transgressions” (Isaiah 53:5).’
The lights hung on the tree remind us that Jesus is “the light of the world” (John 8:12) and through Him we are to be “the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14). The ornaments we hang on the tree and the presents we place under the tree remind us that “every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow” (James 1:17).’
Instead of condemning the Christmas tree as some pagan object brought into our homes from the pagan cold, it can be used to remind us that God promises us “the right to the tree of life” (Revelation 22:14).”
Apparently the mother had done a good job in teaching her son the meaning of Christmas. Yet, she did not have faith in her son and trust in what she had poured inside of him.
During this Christmas season, we must use it as an opportunity to share its true meaning. This is the time we celebrate God’s ultimate gift to mankind, the birth of His only begotten Son so the breach for our eternal existence would be repaired so we could have the right to everlasting life. God who loved us so much gave the ultimate gift for us to be free of the limitations of this world.
We don’t celebrate the Christmas tree, but we do celebrate the One who created the trees. We celebrate the one who gave man wisdom to design a Christmas tree so we can use it to share the blessing inherent in the birth of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, and the gift of eternal life.
Will you share the symbolism of Christ inherent in decorations to others in the marketplace? Can you see them yourself?
Showers' Blessing Inspires 