A Celebration of Reclamation:

The True Heart of Christmas

Let me share my heart with you about Christmas because I know there’s a lot of noise surrounding it these days. Some say we shouldn’t celebrate it, that it’s tied to paganism or that the date is all wrong. But friend, let’s cut through the distractions and see this for what it truly is—a celebration of Jesus, the Savior of the world, stepping into our darkness to redeem us. This is not about a date or tradition; it’s about the greatest love story ever told.

Think about it: the King of Kings, the One who spoke the stars into existence, humbled Himself to be born as a baby. A baby! That’s staggering. The Creator of all things didn’t come with fanfare or armies—He came in humility, born in a manger, to live as one of us. Why? Because love humbles itself. Love lays everything down to restore what was lost. That’s the heart of Christmas.

And His coming changed everything. History itself is divided by His arrival—before Christ and after Christ. That’s not just a timeline; that’s a declaration. Jesus split time in half because He came to divide light from darkness, death from life. He is the Light of the world, piercing the darkness of sin and brokenness. When He was born, the heavens couldn’t stay silent! Angels filled the skies, proclaiming, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to those on whom His favor rests.” Creation itself rejoiced. The trees, the stars, the mountains—they all declare His glory, even now.

But let’s not romanticize this. Jesus didn’t come into a perfect world. He came into a world steeped in chaos, sin, and rebellion. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? It’s no different from the days of Noah. Back then, the earth was filled with corruption and violence, and every thought of man’s heart was only evil continually. Noah stood as a preacher of righteousness, but the world ignored him, consumed with its pleasures, blind to the coming judgment. Yet God, in His mercy, provided a way—a literal ark of salvation.

Now, fast forward to today. The world is just as blind, just as distracted. But Jesus is our ark. Just as Noah and his family entered the ark and were saved from the flood, we are invited to enter into Christ and be saved from the judgment of sin. This is the beauty of Christmas—it’s the story of God stepping into our brokenness to rescue us, to provide a way of salvation. The ark Noah built was made of wood; the salvation Jesus offers is made of His own broken body and shed blood.

And yet, there are those who argue we shouldn’t celebrate this! They say it’s pagan or that the date is wrong. Friend, can I be honest with you? That’s the enemy trying to distract and divide. The enemy hates that we celebrate Jesus, and he’ll use any argument to steal that joy. Yes, maybe certain dates or traditions had pagan origins. But isn’t it just like God to take what was meant for evil and turn it for good? Isn’t that the gospel itself—redeeming what was lost, restoring what was broken?

Paul addressed these kinds of disputes in the early church. He said,

“One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind…Whatever you do, do it for the glory of God” (Romans 14:5-6).

If I celebrate the birth of Christ and give thanks to God, am I not glorifying Him? Does a date define my worship, or does my heart?

The truth is, Christmas isn’t about a date. It’s not about a tree or lights or even traditions. It’s about Jesus—the Light of the world, the Savior who came to rescue us. It’s about heaven invading earth, about God humbling Himself to walk among us, to redeem us. And let me tell you, the angels didn’t pause to debate the timing or the customs; they erupted in praise because they knew what had happened: the Savior had come.

So, let’s not let the enemy rob us of the joy of Christmas. Let’s not get caught up in arguments that miss the heart of God. Instead, let us celebrate boldly. Let us rejoice that Jesus came into our darkness to bring light, that He became our ark of salvation, just as Noah’s ark was a refuge in the flood. Let us sing with creation, proclaiming that Christ has come, the King of glory, the hope of all humanity. Christmas is not pagan—it’s a declaration that God so loved the world that He gave His only Son. Heaven rejoiced at His birth, and so should we.

This is our anthem: Jesus is Lord. The Light has come. The Savior is here. Rejoice, for God is with us! Amen.