2. Christmas is about each of us coming to meet Jesus:
The Christmas passages, and the whole rest of the Bible, share that each of us is to come and meet Jesus so that we could have an eternal relationship with him. For example, the book of Matthew is absolutely full with this concept of each of us coming to meet Jesus:
2:1-2, 11 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him."… (v11) On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.
4:19-20 Jesus says: "Come, follow me and I will make you fishers of men."
11:28 Jesus says: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."
14:28-29 Jesus is walking on the water and Peter cries out: "Lord, if it's you, tell me to come to you on the water." "Come," he said.
16:24 Jesus says: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me."
28:5-7 Even the angels are trying to tell us to come… The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead."
Christmas is about coming together. That's one reason why meeting together with our families is considered so special during this time of year. But meeting our families is really of secondary importance… a by product of the purpose of Christmas . The primary "coming together" is the meeting between each of us and the God who created the universe.
That Creator, Jesus, has come to meet you. Will you come to meet him? You can. How? Like the Magi, offer him what you have, give it to him, and worship him. Jesus will give you his powerful peace. Like Peter on the lake, walk to Jesus. Just take that step to come to him. He will hold you up in your weariness and keep you and carry your burdens. Like the women at the empty tomb, come and see that Jesus is greater than life and then tell somebody about him.
One Christmas hymn teaches us that this season is about "God and sinner reconciled." Immanuel: God with us. Christmas is about Jesus coming to meet us and us coming to meet Jesus.