This time of year we hear two words everywhere. No, it’s not “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Holidays”. We hear these words related to TV shows, retail sales events and even in restaurants. The words I’m speaking of are, of course, “Christmas Special”. Hallmark Chanel has been running Christmas RomComs since Thanksgiving weekend, stores like Best Buy and Kohls engineer sales and one day or even three-hour “flash sales” events and family restaurants create menu’s filled with turkey dinners and egg nog. Are these the things that make Christmas special?

HGTV aired a special on how the White House is decorating for Christmas this year. Each of the public rooms were “specially” decorated for the holidays. One room was all about their dogs, with larger than life stuffed replicas and giant tennis balls. Another had a forest of Christmas trees, the library was decorated to honor American authors and the Palm Room was decorated to the Presidents tastes. Each was certainly special, but not one of them captured what makes Christmas special.

This time of year a lot of couples get engaged, kids are sleepless on Christmas Eve and families and friends share get togethers. It is a time when many who never attend church throughout the year will find themselves in a pew, lights are hung on houses and inflatable Santas and snowmen will be displayed. Stockings will be hung and blockbuster movies (like Star Wars: The Force Awakens”) will be watched. Presents will be wrapped and slid beneath Christmas trees, and even through all these special times and gifts we still do not find what makes Christmas special.

Amid all the flashing lights and glitter of the season that has become the savior of annual retail sales it is easy to miss out on what makes Christmas special: Christ. It’s right there in the name. Christ-mas. For most of this site’s readers this is nothing new, but to others it may be a timely reminder.

Jesus came into this world as an infant, grew up with all the same emotions and temptations we have faced, and battled our darkness and the darkness in the heavenly places for a single purpose. To suffer and die at our hands and the hands of God’s enemies. Through his perfect birth, life, sacrifice and resurrection we have the chance to be made whole. Being complete means more than being independent of our sin, it means being in right relationship with the one who has loved us since before we were born. Mankind is not whole until he can enter the presence of God without fear.

Mary and Joseph did not fear the infant they held in their arms even with the knowledge that Jesus was the promised Messiah and hope of their lives. The disciples did not fear Jesus though they followed him night and day for several years. But all of them, and all whom Jesus had healed, exorcised, raised from the dead and all who put their trust in him did know fear the day of his crucifixion. Their fear was not of God, but of being without him. A fear that was relieved three days later.

If you are attending church this Christmas, is it out of joy or fear? Deep inside our heart of hearts, do we shudder from the knowledge that we do not live for Jesus 365 days a year and therefore attended services on Christmas and Easter to alleviate those fears? Or are we the kind of believer who attends church each week so that we might have a regular time of drawing near to the one who gives us hope and life eternal? In short, is God your judge or your savior?

If you answered to the former then today you have an opportunity to shift your answer to the later. Jesus came once to become the savior of the world, and he will come again to judge the world. If these facts terrify you they do not have to. If Jesus is your savior you already know that you will escape the coming judgment. If you do not have this knowledge, this hope, you can. Today you may call God your friend by placing your trust in him alone for both this life and the one to come. Do so and you will find out exactly what makes Christmas “special”.