My title for this devotion is Christmas vs Easter. Celebratory vs Solemn.
Let’s be honest for a moment. Is that not the way we tend to look at Christmas and Easter? Christmas Eve vs Good Friday. The tree vs the Cross. We call it the 12 days of Christmas and even have Advent calendars of all sizes, shapes, colors, and makes. For Easter we have Lent-seen as a solemn time leading up to Good Friday and “Easter Sunday.” Which one is more important? Which one is the one to focus on? Which one do we celebrate?
In my mind it is not a case of either/or. It is a case of both/and. In God’s grand scheme of things, Christmas is not more celebratory than Easter. Sure, Christmas is a time of celebration-nowadays dating back to the day after Thanksgiving (but slowly creeping back to around the close of Halloween). I once read where someone cynically said pretty soon it will be Santa being pulled by 8 tiny rabbits. The way our culture is going that doesn’t seem an unlikely prospect does it? 🙂
But if you really think about it, without Christmas Easter makes no sense. And without Easter Christmas is only an introduction but has no conclusion. Taken separately, Christmas speaks of birth; Easter speaks of death and resurrection. Seen together we Someone born; we see Someone die; we see Someone born to die.
We often hear during this season the slogan “Wise men still seek Him.” True. But not just at Christmas. Wise men worship the child who was born in a manger (but they came to see so much later). But in their visit and gift giving they also saw Someone who was to die. Gifts of gold (a gift fit for a king), frankincense (a gift used for worship), and myrrh (a gift used for burial). Prophetic? I believe so. But in their gifts they, without their knowledge I’m sure, showed how Christmas and Easter go together.
Enjoy Christmas this year. But as you do, remember that it also finds its conclusion at the Cross and empty tomb. My closing thought? “Father, I thank You for the story of Christmas. I also thank You for the story of Easter. And I thank You they make more sense and have more meaning when seen together.”
You are so right, Bill. You can’t have one without the other as it would make no sense. I thought about that yesterday as Danny and I were decorating (finally!) our Christmas tree; we have two decorations that are crosses. As I placed those on the boughs, I couldn’t help but think of that sweet little baby destined to die for us all. Thank you, Lord!
Blessings!
Yes indeed Thank you Lord!
I have found it curious that even Christians go to such great lengths to celebrate Christmas but not so much Easter! We have every bit as much reason to proclaim “good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people” at Easter as we do at Christmas!
Wouldn’t that be an interesting conversation starter Pam? 🙂
Absolutely true Bill. Father, please help us to be wise men and women and seek You not just during Christmas and Easter but in everyday, and in all we do, in all of our thoughts.
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. Deuteronomy 6:5
you state it well Gail: seeking Him not just during Christmas and Easter but all year long.
In a sense, the two holidays are our Alpha and Omega.
I wish I had thought of that! Brilliant way to put it