The week leading up to Christmas day is usually filled with great anticipation, excitement, and curious wonderings about what is wrapped under the tree. Is that the new action figure I asked for? I wonder what I’ll get from mom and dad and, of course, the grandparents? Well, that is probably how you feel if you’re a kid. We adults may feel a different sense of pressure–getting the house ready for guests, last-minute shopping, trying to make sure everything is perfect, and then it hits you, the realization that Christmas will not be the same this year as it used to be.
The dinner table now has an empty seat where your loved one used to sit. The living room isn’t filled with their laughter, and if you are being honest, this Christmas season just feels empty. As you hear of and see other families coming together, you are reminded how broken yours feels.
This season can be incredibly difficult for so many people. It is the painful reality of experiencing life under sin’s curse. But there is hope. Hope that is not merely wishful thinking but a hope that is sure and one that lasts. Christmas reminds us of our Hope, the Hope that came to us, our Light of the World, The Prince of Peace. In the midst of all the chaos that life brings, we can find comfort in that God has not left us to our brokenness or abandoned us in our pain.
As Mary exclaimed in Luke 1, “my soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” Christmas is a great reminder that God sees you in your brokenness; He knows your struggles, where your emptiness lies, and His presence with you never wavers. He is the giver of every good gift and the greatest gift, one that cannot be bought, stolen, or lost. Jesus is our greatest comfort, our ultimate source of peace, and the reason we can truly rejoice in the midst of our suffering. He is our Hope for today. And He is our Hope for eternity. I pray this Christmas you are filled with reminders that there is a Jesus who is real, who knows you by name, loves you unconditionally, and is in constant pursuit of a lasting relationship with you.