11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.” 15 When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” 16 They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. 17 After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. 18 All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, 19 but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. 20 The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.

Luke 2:11-20 (NLT)

THAT’S WHAT CHRISTMAS IS ALL ABOUT

One of the best things about Christmas, to me, is all of the tradition and pageantry that accompany it. The movies, the songs, the food, oh man, the food. All of those things that have become ingrained in our annual celebrations make the season so much more enriching and enjoyable.

One hallmark of the season for Deanna and me is A Charlie Brown Christmas. We may be old school, but the cartoon special and its iconic musical score give it a special place in our Christmas festivities.

I recently pulled it up and read the plot description listed for it, and it was interesting to me. It reads, “Feeling down about the commercialism of Christmas, Charlie Brown becomes the director of the gang’s holiday play. Can he overcome his friends’ preference for dancing over acting, find the ‘perfect’ tree, and discover the true meaning of Christmas?”

The commercialism of Christmas? And this is from 1965. But that last line, regarding the “true meaning of Christmas,” is what sticks out to me. This holiday means many things to many people, but what should it mean to us as followers of Christ?

In somewhat controversial fashion, the 60-year-old cartoon did not mince words about the meaning of Christmas. If you have never seen it, after a myriad of difficulties Charlie Brown is feeling sorry for himself. The play is not going well, leading him to say, “Everything I do turns into disaster. I guess I really don’t know what Christmas is all about. Isn’t there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?”

Then his friend Linus says, “Sure, Charlie Brown, I can tell you what Christmas is all about.” He then walks to the center of the stage and reads directly from the Bible, Luke 2:8–14:

“8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were sore afraid.
10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”

Linus picks up his blanket, which never once leaves his arm except for this moment, and says, “That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.”

We have two young boys at home and are in a season of life where Christmas excitement is at a fever pitch. The thrill of it all, especially the gifts, pulses through our house. So let’s enjoy the music, the movies, and the food, but let’s never forget what Christmas is all about.

Lee Wilson and his wife, Deanna, have been NorthStar Church members since 2010. They are parents to Everett, Henry and Roselyn. Lee is passionate about sports (Go Braves, Go Dawgs) and has the pleasure to serve on the worship team as a bassist.