Christmas is not about giving.

Christmas is not about peace on Earth.

Christmas is not about family.

Christmas is not a little baby.

These are all of elements of how we celebrate Christmas in America.

But the core of Christmas is that God took the form of man and in humility was born of a virgin and dwelt among men as one of us. The Creator of the universe was born in a stable to humble parents in a poor city.

And the reason He came was to save mankind and to give glory to His Father.

Save is a strong word. Many sincere Christians see Jesus as a God of love but they downplay the problem of sin. Because man sinned, we are destined to spend eternity apart from God. God loved us so much that He sent Jesus. Sinners can’t go to Heaven. Redeemed sinners will spend eternity there.

The reason Jesus had to go suffer and die on the cross was to make a sacrifice for our sins. Simply through faith in Jesus and God’s grace, we are redeemed.

We drift away from that message when we make Christmas about getting stuff, or visiting friends and family or having time off of work.

We must understand the love of God along with His holiness.

Why do you think the shepherds “who watched their flocks by night” were so afraid when they were approached by angels announcing the birth of Jesus? It’s because holiness matters to God.

You have to couple the message of Christmas with the Easter message – that is that Jesus died on the cross for our sins and that He rose from the dead and now sits in Heaven, pleading our case.

When I was very young, my Sunday School teacher Mrs. White showed me the Wordless Book. The book had no words but it had a great message.

The first page was black. That showed me that I was a sinner. When Adam and Eve ate of the fruit in the Garden of Eden, mankind inherited a sin nature. Sin is disobeying God.

The second page was red. That showed the blood of Jesus Christ as represented on the cross. His death paid the penalty for our sin. He was sinless yet He willingly laid down his life as a ransom for many.

The third page was white. This represents the heart of someone who believes and trusts in Jesus. Past, present and future sins are wiped clean when you accept Christ. We still battle our old sin nature but “old things have passed away; behold all things have become new.”

The final page was gold. This represents Heaven. When a believer dies, we go straight to Paradise, just as one of the thieves who was crucified next to Jesus. That’s where we will spend eternity in communion with God.

If we never get past that black page, we won’t experience the streets of gold in Heaven. And the great tragedy is that those who reject Jesus on Earth will spend eternity in Hell. That is a horrible fate.

I prayed to accept Jesus in that Sunday School classroom and it changed my life forever. I am far from perfect but I am forgiven. And fellowship with God on Earth is a foretaste of what Heaven will be like for us.

I love Christmas. I love giving and getting gifts. I love spending time with my family. I love Christmas music and movies. I love going to church right before Christmas. I am glad that peace is a theme at Christmas.

But apart from reconciliation with God through Jesus Christ, Christmas is a hollow celebration. I have the promise of Heaven and I want as many people as possible to go with me.

We do need to approach God with the outlook of little children. We are in need of salvation.

This Christmas, spend some time at a local church (there are many in Tulsa). If you are not sure if you are saved, talk to a pastor from a Bible-believing church.

I hope you discover the real message of Christmas.