Avoiding the Post-Christmas Let-Down
by Mark Hollingsworth, Pastor, Liberty Baptist Church, Lanexa
There can be no question that Christmas is a special time of year. It seems that just about everybody experiences that “Christmas spirit,” where we are all nice to one another (or at least nicer than normal). People get excited about giving instead of receiving, we get time off from work and families are together. For these and many other reasons, Christmas is a wonderful, happy time of year. But we also hear about “post-Christmas let-down,” a kind of depression that many seem to experience after all the festivities and parties and gift-giving and family gatherings are over, and the new year begins. Where does that come from? Some people know this “post-Christmas let-down” all too well; they experience it every year. For them, the real miracle of Christmas would be if that joy they felt during Christmas would last the rest of the year. Isn’t it ironic, then, that the very one whose “birthday” we celebrate at Christmas is the same one who holds the key to year-long, life-long, and even eternal joy?
“But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son” (Gal 4:4). The world was united under the Roman Empire, there was a universal Greek language, and the stage was set for the most significant event in human history, the reason we celebrate Christmas: the birth of Jesus Christ in the town of Bethlehem. But the Bible says that this was no ordinary birth of a baby; it was the incarnation of the Son of God; that is, God literally “becoming flesh.” According to the Bible, the baby laid in the manger that night was God Himself.
As this baby grew, He said some shocking things. One of them was, “I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). Jesus Himself said that only by trusting Him can we have true life, eternal life. Amazingly, He even said that in finding true life in Him, we find true joy: “These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full” (John 15:11). In fact, when we connect God’s own words from the Old Testament with the words of Christ, we find the key to lasting, true joy: “In your presence is fullness of joy; in your right hand are pleasures forever” (Psalm 16:11). Could it be that we are seeking “pleasure” and “joy” in all the wrong things? Perhaps we are seeking things that only bring temporary joy, when God wants to give us joy that never ends. Then, according to the Bible, there is only one place to find it: “in His presence,” as Psalm 16:11 says.
This is why Jesus was born into this world: to bring us into the very presence of God—not just one day after we die, but right now. The real miracle of Christmas is that this child whose birth we celebrate is also the only one who can bring us lasting, eternal joy in the presence of God. The truth is, the “Baby Jesus” didn’t stay a baby. He grew up, He became a man, and He never sinned. He never disobeyed His Father. This is so very different from us—the Bible says Jesus “committed no sin” (1 Pet 2:22), but it says that we “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23). We all deserve death and judgment for our sin (Rom 6:23), but as Jesus died on the cross, He received the punishment meant for us (Is 53:5). Having given Himself as our sacrifice, He is risen from the dead and the only one able to bring us into the presence of the God who created us, where we will surely find eternal joy. For this to happen, we must “repent and believe the Gospel” (Mk 1:15). Turn from your sins and entrust your life, your soul, to the one who loved you enough to die for you.
Because, you see, the miracle of Christmas is not that the Christ child was born in Bethlehem. The miracle of Christmas only happens if He is born in you. And if He is truly born in you, you will never again experience a “post-Christmas let-down.” You have God’s promise.
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Pastor – Mark Hollingsworth came to Liberty Baptist Church as pastor in February of 2008. Born in Paducah, KY in 1967, he became a christian at an early age. He holds degrees from Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA; Luther Rice Seminary in Atlanta, GA; and The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY.
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Liberty Baptist Church15810 Liberty Church Road
Lanexa, VA 23089
804-966-2659www.lanexaliberty.org
Holiday Services:
Christmas Eve Candle Light Service
December 24 – 5 PM
Christmas Day
December 25 – 10:30 AM
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