The Reason for the Season

We all know the reason for Christmas, do we not? Sure we do. It is the celebration of the birth of Jesus, right?

We know who Jesus was and whom He came from, but do we really understand why He came?

The real reason He came was to show love and compassion to all of humankind.

If we had nothing else to give at Christmas time, our love and compassion for others would show the reason for the season. We find this to be true when we give a gift to a loved one or when we give to help those in need.

Last Sunday one of the women in my church came to me and told me about a family whose house had burned to the ground the day before. She asked if the church could help them. During the service, I asked the congregation if they would help in this time of need for this family, a family that none of us know. The whole church gave consent to give a love offering to this family. This is not the first time I have received a love offering from my church for someone in need. My people are giving people and they make me proud to be their pastor. They give because they have love and compassion for people they have never met! This was what Jesus did for us. That is the reason for the season of Christmas!

The other day I went to Wal-Mart. It was raining and cold. Outside of Wal-Mart, in the cold and rain, stood a Salvation Army bell ringer. As I approached her, she said with a big smile on her face, “Merry Christmas!” We know what this woman and the Salvation Army stands for, don’t we? Love and compassion!

Last night on the news a story was reported about a woman in the hospital whose purse was stolen from her room. The purse contained money that she and her husband were going to use to pay their bills and to have Christmas with. A security guard came to the room to get a report and notify the police. Nothing came of the report because there was no way to know who stole the purse. The security guard, feeling compassion for the old couple, began to tell the story everywhere he went in the hospital. He asked people if they would like to help. After some time, he came back to the old couple with more money than they had to start with. The local T.V. reporter got hold of the story and it became the main story on the five o’clock news. This is the reason for the season of Christmas.

Dr. Will Houghton, former president of Moody Bible Institute said it best when he wrote these words:

Love this world through me, Lord
This world of broken men,
Thou didst love through death, Lord
Oh, love in me again.
Souls are in despair, Lord.
Oh, make me know and care;
When my life they see,
May they behold thee,
Oh, love the world through me.

Christ is the Reason for the Season!