It’s a common Christian shorthand nowadays - ‘the reason for
the season.’ Not sure I like it much as a phrase. But there is a reason, that’s for sure.
Christmas is not a Christian celebration originally- it was ‘adopted’
by Christians as a useful anchor date for celebrating Christ’s birth.
But is Christ’s birth worth celebrating? Well, that’s the ‘reason’
bit.
There is no doubt that Jesus Christ lived and died in Palestine
around 2000 years ago. This blog is not the place for the research proof, but
you will find plenty on this if you look for it. Even Christ’s enemies didn’t
try and claim he didn’t exist (excuse the double negatives there).
So, He existed. What next? Just a good man who preached well?
Not really. Because again, both in the Bible and through external sources, we
know He was crucified for claiming to be God’s Son, the Messiah.
That means he can’t have just been a good man. One of my
favourite teachers at school was Mr Baston, my Geography teacher. But if he had
started claiming to be the Son of God, he would no longer be just a good man
and a geography teacher. He’d have to be put into another category. Either mad. Or deliberately bad. Or true.
With Christ, we face the same challenge. He can’t have just
been a good man. Good men don’t claim to be the Son of God and get hung on
crosses. He has either to be mad- thinking he was God’s Son. Or bad - claiming it,
but knowing he was a fraud. Or …. He was who He said He was.
Mad men don’t speak as well as Jesus spoke - just look at
the ‘beatitudes’ (Matthew 5: 1-12). Bad men - claiming to be something else -
don’t go to crosses. All they would do would be to apologise. No cross; no
loss.
Jesus said He was the Son of God. He died on a cross. Fact.
(in the Bible and in other external sources.)
But was He then God’s son? Well, if he wasn’t mad and he
wasn’t bad….
And there’s one more thing. He rose from the dead. He broke
death’s hold. Fearful disciples suddenly became fearless. The Christian faith
spread faster than any other belief in its time. It’s hard to find another
explanation for the change in Christ’s followers.
Today 2.3 billion people agree with these words. The biggest
faith movement in the world. Ever.
There’s a reason for the season.
