The Reason for the Season: A different answer than what you’re thinking {Soul Food}

Image credit: Joe Buckingham via Flickr, Used under Creative Commons License, Text (with background) added

Whenever someone talks about “the reason for the season,” the first thought that comes to mind, obviously, is the birth of Jesus. It’s why Christmas exists, and those who follow Jesus feel the need to emphasize this during the Christmas season with all of the efforts to remove nativity scenes from public displays in America.

It seems to go much farther beyond just Believers though, as 75% say they think Christmas should be celebrated in public schools. Once again, there appears to be a loud minority trying to assert their agenda on the entire country.

I was listening recently to a Christmas song that has always been a favorite of mine:

As I thought about this message and how the circumstances of Jesus’ birth seem strange to us, what also came to mind were the questions that skeptics or people who don’t believe sometimes have about why God would have sent His son the way He did … to become human to ultimately die a cruel death on the cross to save mankind from themselves, or at least those who accept the gift. It can seem to go against the idea of a loving God.

But that’s if you look at it at face value. Sometimes we have to look further to understand the meaning of something. A part of this song says:

Joseph knew the reason love had to reach so far…

I think the Bible gives us a deeper meaning to “the reason for the season” as well … and why love did reach so far. Hebrews 4:15-16 says:

For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

God came to earth in human form to experience life with us (Emmanuel… “God with us”!) so that we would have confidence that He knew what we were going through because he had experienced it Himself! That is incredible love.

There are two times in the life of Jesus that stand out to me as awesome examples of this truth. The first would be just before He was baptized when Satan tempted Him in the desert:

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:

“‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”

Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”

Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him. (Matthew 4:1-11, NIV)

Here Jesus taught us by example how to handle temptation … with the Word of God, and that the enemy will try to twist the Word of God for his purposes. This is why studying and meditating on God’s word is so important!

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15)

If we spend time with God in His word, His Holy Spirit will teach us during those times in ways that prepare us for the times when we are tempted by the enemy. It is one of the roles of the person of the Holy Spirit.

But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. (John 14:26)

Another passage of Scripture that comes to mind as an example Jesus gave us through His life with us on Earth and that is a favorite of mine is when Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane before He was crucified:

Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”

Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.”

When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing. (Matthew 26:36-44)

In this passage, I see my Savior, fully God, yet experiencing what we do in the human weakness of the flesh, and struggling with God from the human side of Him, knowing what was coming and pleading not to have to go through it. But at the same time, because He was God, also knowing the will of God and surrendering to it.

(We don’t always know God’s will for something in our lives, but if we have spent time getting to know Him, then we also know we can trust Him.)

I wonder, as He prayed, maybe our very faces and names flashed through His mind … as reminders of the reasons “love had to reach so far”.