“And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger...” (Luke. 2:12 KJV)

The reason for the season reminders all around us 

Christmas decorations and their symbolism remind us of the true reason for the season which is Jesus.

God’s perfect gift of love!  

Ribbons and bows are everywhere during the Christmas season, on gifts, wreathes, tree adornments, on swags, and many other places, and act as reminders that Jesus is God’s perfect gift to us—at His birth, the baby Jesus was wrapped in swaddling clothes, which were small ribbons of cloth.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but shall have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

Therefore

When we see Christmas bows and ribbons, they should remind us of God’s wonderful gift of Jesus, binding us together in love, goodwill, and unity.

“Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.” (1 Peter 3:8 ESV)

“Complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.” (Phil. 2:2)

“Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12 ESV)

The reason for the season reminders all around us 

Christmas decorations and their symbolism can remind us of the true reason for the season, Jesus. Advent candles were originally part of the holiday wreath tradition and the two are often combined as part of a long-standing Christmas tradition.

Christmas Advent Candles

The four candles symbolize the number of weeks for Advent. Traditionally, three of these candles stand for prayer, penance and preparation.The other candle is lit on the last Sunday of Advent and signals a time of rejoicing.  

In short, the light of the Advent candles symbolizes Jesus Christ as “the light of the world.”

Therefore

“For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Cor. 4:6 ESV)

“…the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.” (Luke 3:22)

The reason for the season reminders all around us 

Christmas decorations and their symbolism can remind us of the true reason for the season, Jesus.

The dove

The dove is often used on holiday cards and decorations and has become a symbol of peace.

When you see a dove at Christmas, remember it is…

·      A Gifts of love - Following the Three Wise Men who brought gold, myrrh, and frankincense as gifts to the baby Jesus, shepherds bore more modest gifts such as doves. 

·      It represents the Spirit of God – “After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him,” (Matt. 3:16)

·      It represents your value to God - “When you lie down among the sheepfolds, You are like the wings of a dove covered with silver, And its pinions with glistening gold.” (Psalm 68:13)

·      It is a symbol of purity - “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves.” (Matt. 10:16)

·      It is a symbol of innocence - “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves.” (Matt. 19:16)

“Oh sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth! Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day.” (Psalms 96:1-3) 

The reason for the season reminders all around us

Christmas decorations and their symbolism can remind us of the true reason for the season, Jesus. Although much of Christmas music has nothing to do with the birth of Jesus, such as Rudolf, White Christmas, Santa Clause, and such, many good Christmas Carols and hymns do, such as Away in the Manger, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, We Three Kings, O Come All Ye Faithful, O Come, O Come Emmanuel, O Little Town of Bethlehem, It Came Upon a Midnight Clear, and my all-time favorite, O Holy Night.

The Easiest Time to Share

The Christmas season is the easiest time of the year to share your faith, with so much going on everywhere that can be used to promote a conversation about Jesus. This is especially true when singing traditional and biblical Christmas carols.

“He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord.” (Psalm 40:3)

“My lips will shout for joy, when I sing praises to you; my soul also, which you have redeemed.” (Psalm 71:23)

“And they clothed him in a purple cloak, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on him.” (Mark 15:17) 

The reason for the season reminders all around us

Christmas decorations, and their symbolism can remind us of the true reason for the season, Jesus. The wreaths we see everywhere on doors and walls also have significant meaning.

Christmas wreaths

Wreaths represent the crown of thorns worn by Jesus and the tiny red berries represent his blood.

“Then Pilate took Jesus and flogged him. And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head and arrayed him in a purple robe. They came up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and struck him with their hands. Pilate went out again and said to them, “See, I am bringing him out to you that you may know that I find no guilt in him.” So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Behold the man!” When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no guilt in him.” The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has made himself the Son of God.” When Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid. He entered his headquarters again and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. So Pilate said to him, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?” Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin.”

From then on Pilate sought to release him, but the Jews cried out, “If you release this man, you are not Caesar's friend. Everyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar.” So when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Stone Pavement, and in Aramaic Gabbatha. Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover. It was about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, “Behold your King!”They cried out, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.” So he delivered him over to them to be crucified.” (John 19:1-16 ESV)

Therefore

When you see wreaths, they should remind you why the baby Jesus was born, why He was sent, and what He willingly suffered to bring redemption to the world and to you personally.

“The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners,” (1 Tim. 1:15 ESV)

“And on that day there shall be inscribed on the bells of the horses, “Holy to the Lord.”  (Zach. 4:20)

The reason for the season reminders all around us

Christmas decorations, and their symbolism can remind us of the true reason for the season, Jesus. Even the sounds of Christmas can bring joy to your heart. When you hear the sound of jingle bells you can be reminded of the birth of Jesus, the Prince of Peace! When I hear Christmas bells, my mind returns to a familiar Christmas carol with a powerful message of peace on earth goodwill to men.

Christmas Bells

“I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” is a Christmas carol based on the 1863 poem “Christmas Bells” by American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The song tells of the narrator hearing Christmas bells during the American Civil War but despairing that “hate is strong and mocks the song of peace on earth, good will to men”. After much anguish and despondency, the carol concludes with the bells ringing out with resolution that “God is not dead, nor doth He sleep” and that there will ultimately be “...peace on earth, good will to men.” 

Therefore

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” (Luke 2:14) 

“And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.” (Luke 2:20 ESV)

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” (James 1:17)

The reason for the season reminders all around us

Christmas decorations, and their symbolism can remind us of the true reason for the season, Jesus. And, when we see wrapped presents, we can remember all kinds of gifts God has given us, especially the gift of His Son, Jesus, the greatest gift of all!

Gifts to remember and be thankful for 

·      The gift of Salvation: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Eph. 2:8-9)

·      The gift of the Holy Spirit: “And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38 ESV)

·      Spiritual gifts for everyone: “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” (1 Cor. 12:4-7)

·      God’s gifts are irrevocable: “For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” (Eph. 2:8-9)

Therefore

“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace:” (1 Peter 4:10 ESV)

“While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.” (Luke 2:6-7)

The reason for the season reminders all around us

Christmas decorations, and their symbolism can remind us of the true reason for the season, Jesus. This is especially true of displaying the nativity scene.

Christmas Nativity Scene

Also known as a creche or manger scene, it is a representation of the birth of Jesus. It is an important symbol of the Christmas season and serves as a reminder of the significance of the holiday. The first known nativity scene was created by Saint Francis of Assisi in 1223 to depict the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem.

The scene typically includes figures of Mary, Joseph, the baby Jesus, and various animals (no animals are actually listed as being there in the Bible). In addition, the scene may include shepherds, angels, and the three wise men (wisemen weren’t listed as being present at His birth, either, they appeared later on).  

Therefore 

When we see a nativity scene, we are reminded that it is displaying the Christmas story—the birthday of our Lord and Savior, Jesus. And it’s the promised good news and a time to rejoice and praise God, just as the great company of the heavenly host did on that wonderful day on the very first Christmas!

“Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” (Luke 2:11-14)

“The Lord God planted a garden toward the east, in Eden; and there He placed the man whom He had formed. Out of the ground the Lord God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” (Gen. 2:8-9) 

The reason for the season reminders all around us

Over the last few days, we have been looking at Christmas decorations, and how their symbolism can remind us of the true reason for the season, Jesus.

The Christmas tree

One of the first signs of the Christmas season to appear everywhere is the Christmas tree. There has been much debate regarding the use of them historically, especially since they were used by pagans to celebrate the winter solstice. However, some Christian historians claim that the Christmas tree has purely Christian origins, with its roots in the story of Adam and Eve and the tree of life in the Garden of Eden. They argue that the use of evergreen trees during Christmas symbolizes the eternal life that Jesus Christ offers and that decorated trees remind them of many Christian truths about Him.

Jesus, a new branch bearing fruit

In prophecy, Isaiah compared Jesus to a tree by relaying, “Out of the stump of David's family will grow a shoot—yes, a new branch bearing fruit from the old root.” (Isa. 11:1). The reminder that Jesus came from the lineage of David is like a seed coming from a family tree.

The tree’s shape

The Christmas tree being in the shape of a triangle was thought to represent the Holy Trinity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:18–19). The upward-pointing branches often symbolize praise to God.

A resurrection symbol 

Christmas trees can serve as a metaphor for the fact that Jesus died and rose again in splendor in the same way a tree was cut down to its own death to be placed upward again in glory and splendor.

The decorations on the tree

For many Christians, candles or lights on the tree signify how Jesus came as the light into the world. The star placed atop the tree represents the star the wise men followed to Bethlehem (Matt. 2:9). Some believe that the Protestant revolutionary Martin Luther started lighting candles in trees after walking through the woods on a snowy night. The sight of the moon hitting the snow-glistened trees reminded him of the light of Christ that came down from heaven. It was also this experience that inspired him to pen the lyrics to the 1535 Christmas hymn, “From Heaven Above to Earth I Come.“

Therefore

Use everything about Christmas trees to remind you of God’s Word, the tree of life, and about Jesus, who He is, His glory, and what He came for!

“Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him.” (Rev. 22:1-3 NIV)