Greg Laurie: The Power of Christmas

I have always believed in the Promise of Christmas.

There has always been something wonderful, magical and special about this time of year that goes back to my earliest childhood.

But how often does Christmas really deliver on its promises? A little bit here and there, but by and large, it's the endless drone of mind-numbing ads on TV, or the friction and pressure that comes when we feel obligated to purchase gifts for people we barely know. It's the unrealistic expectations put on us by others – and sometimes even ourselves.

Then there's that big "Post Christmas Letdown." It's the letdown of an expectation that can never really be met. We're not able to give what we really wanted to give, or maybe we didn't receive what we had hoped for. Then there are those bills that come due. …

So let's be honest here: Christmas at its worst is a crass, commercial, empty, exhausting and very expensive ritual that seemingly drags on for weeks.

But what is Christmas at its best?

It is a taste of heaven and a glimpse of things to come: the beauty of worship, the adoring angels, the love, warmth, promise and hope. All the things promised us in a life yet to come. You see, Christmas is a promise and a foretaste. But the best is yet to come.

Ever since I was a little boy, I've believed in the promise of Christmas. As a child, I always wanted to have a family experience … which was hard when you don't have a family.

When Cathe and I got married and had our sons, I thought I would realize the promise then. I always wanted Christmas to be what it wasn't for me, so I often overdid things a bit. Too many toys, I'm sure. And I was more excited on Christmas morning than the boys were.

I still believe in the Promise of Christmas – not the hijacked, commercial, secular, politically correct, Christ-less "Holiday Season," but the true and enduring celebration of our Lord's birth.

The essential message of Christmas is not "Let it snow!" or "Let us shop!" The message is "Let us WORSHIP, because God is with us." Isaiah 7:14 says, "Therefore the LORD Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel."

We all remember the gifts of the wise men, brought to the Child Jesus. But the first Christmas gift wasn't a gift to a child, but rather the gift of a Child. "For God so loved the world that He Gave His only begotten Son" (John 3:16).

That's what Immanuel means: God with us.

What a staggering thought that is! That's the very essence of the Christian life. Other religions tell you to try to live according to certain standards. Christianity teaches that Christ Himself comes and lives in the human heart. It's not us in our feeble attempts trying to "do it for God," it is God Himself living through us.

God with us! Without question, one of the most remarkable teachings in the Bible is that Jesus Christ Himself will actually enter and live in any human heart that welcomes Him. The old Christmas carol had it right: "Let every heart prepare Him room."

Jesus said in John 14:23, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him."

What an amazing statement! God the Father and Son are saying that they want "to make their home" with you and me! Jesus Himself said to His disciples, "Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." He also said, "I will never leave you or forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5).

Can we honestly wrap our minds around such a truth? That God Himself is with us? When we put our faith in Christ, we can know that we will never be alone in life. He is there. He will always be there.

As human beings living out our lives on a broken planet, we will certainly face storms, hardships, challenges and even tragedies in our lives. The Bible never said we would live a problem and pain-free life, even as Christians. But we will never, never be alone. So we don't have to be afraid.

Maybe your marriage fell apart this year, and you feel all alone. God is with you! Perhaps your children have forgotten about you. God is with you! Maybe a loved one that was with you last Christmas is gone today. God is with you! Maybe you are isolated in a hospital, convalescent home or prison. If you have put your faith in Christ, God is with you!

The holiday we call "Christmas" just can't deliver on its promises. Christmas can't bring harmony to your home, peace on earth or lasting happiness. No, but Christ Himself can do all of this and more. He can give us the very thing we long for most deep inside.

Not Christmas, but Christ. Not merriment, but the Messiah. Not "good will," but God. Not presents, but His presence. Anything or anyone short of this will disappoint, but God never will.

There may be many things you don't have this Christmas. You may not have as much to give as you did last year. You may not have a loved one with you who was with you last year.

Maybe you have been looking to the Christmas holiday or the things of this world to make you happy. C. S. Lewis wrote, "God designed the human machine to run on. He Himself is the fuel our spirits were designed to burn, or the food our spirits were designed to feed on. There is no other. … That is why it is just no good asking God to make us happy in our own way without bothering about faith. God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing."

It's not Christmas that will give you joy or lasting peace, but Jesus Christ. He, and nothing or no one else, is the true Promise of Christmas.

Greg Laurie is the senior pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, Calif., one of the largest churches in America. He is also the featured speaker for Harvest Crusades, large-scale evangelistic outreaches that have been attended by more than 4 million people around the world since 1990. Greg is heard internationally on the daily radio broadcast, "A New Beginning." To learn more about Greg Laurie go to www.greglaurie.com.