Looking For A Perfect Christmas

We are into yet another Christmas Season. And immaterial of the number of times we have done Christmas before, and have failed, we still want to do things right. We want to make all possible efforts to make things as perfect as possible. We buy the perfect clothes, we look for the perfect gifts for the children and loved ones, we look for the perfect Christmas cakes, we look for the perfect Christmas carols, We look for the perfect Christmas Tree, decorate it with perfect decorations, we look for the perfect Christmas meal, a perfect family get together etc etc. We spare no effort to make our Christmas perfect. We try to have a perfect celebration of Christmas. And then the predictable happens. Children and others are not happy with the perfect Christmas Gifts they get . Leslie went and brought both me and Neville two bright red shirts that she thought was perfect, and both of us found that shocking, because as Neville said, the shirt looked brighter than our red sofa. The Christmas event that we plan so meticulously gets criticized by many, who find loopholes in the planning. The carols we choose and sing turn out to be not too good for others. The Christmas meal that we painstakingly cook turns out to a bit burnt. The Christmas cake we thought looked so perfect develops fungus. The Christmas tree does not stand upright. The decorations are not balanced. There is either too much of it or too little of it. During the family gatherings that we so much looked forward to, Children end up fighting, adults end up arguing. In short, things go wrong and the perfect Christmas that we wanted to have seem like a distant dream.

Sounds familiar? You are not alone if you find this familiar.

The reason is simple. I have spoken about it multiple times. We are imperfect people. We mess up things. None of us can claim to be perfect people, and hence do make a festival perfect is not in our powers. Job 14:4 (MSG) tells us “There's nothing much to us to start with; how do you expect us to amount to anything?” But we do not have to be disappointed. We don’t have to despair. There is good news. And that is the good news of Christmas.

1. The first good news is that there is something in Christmas that is perfect and that does not depend on you and me. You know what I am talking about. When we put Christ in Christmas, it becomes perfect.

2. Second God news is that We too can become perfect, not because of anything we did or ever can do, but because of the perfect gift that god gave us in the form of Christ during that first Christmas. A gift that is eternal, that is perfect.

Romans 3:24 (MSG) God did it for us. Out of sheer generosity he put us in right standing with himself. A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we're in and restored us to where he always wanted us to be. And he did it by means of Jesus Christ.

Let us remember that this is the true meaning of Christmas. This is the true message of Christmas.

I love the way the message bible reaffirms this message. Hebrews 10:14 (MSG) It was a perfect sacrifice by a perfect person to perfect some very imperfect people. By that single offering, he did everything that needed to be done for everyone who takes part in the purifying process.

So the only way we can ever get Christmas perfect is by putting Christ in it.

So does that mean that we can just relax and enjoy that gift? Do we have a responsibility because we received such a precious and perfect gift? Let us read Hebrews 10:14 again. How does that end? ‘he did everything that needed to be done for everyone who takes part in the purifying process” You note it is present continuous tense being used in the NJKV version For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. Being Sanctified. While Jesus is a perfect offering, we human beings have to undergo some “makeover” to become like him. We are in the process. Paul himself confesses of this continuous process in Philippians 3:12-14 (NKJV) Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Paul knew that he had to “press toward the goal”