Unwrapping Christmas: Beyond the Picture-Perfect Ideal

Unwrapping Christmas: Beyond the picture-perfect ideal.

It has been said that Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year…it’s picture perfect…that is…until it isn’t.

What would be your picture-perfect Christmas?

Is it gathering with family, celebrating with friends, giving and receiving thoughtful Christmas presents, continuing special Christmas traditions like baking grandma’s amazing cookie recipe, reliving a childhood Christmas, could it be revisiting a Christmas yesteryear wishing you could celebrate Christmas with a loved one who has departed this world and has left you with a significant emptiness in your holiday, or are you hoping for a miracle in bright, bold, flashing, capital letters: M-I-R-A-C-L-E?.

The Christmas season from one year to the next often looks very much the same, yet at the same time, it seems very different. We find comfort and peace in what remains the same, and we experience an array of emotions, some that are exciting, some that are filled with anticipation, some that are hopeful, some that are overcome by anxiety, some that are filled with brokenness, and some that make us fearful.

Mary and Joseph didn’t picture themselves becoming the parents of the Savior of the world (Luke 2:1-21). To them, this scenario was far from picture-perfect. They were all alone. They had no family there to support or encourage them. They were extremely young; Mary, the mother of Jesus, was about 14 years old at the time, and they (Mary and Joseph) were very inexperienced as newlyweds and parents. Joseph, who planned on separating/divorcing Mary, instead took Mary as his wife in secret, after an angel told him to stay with Mary, so not to draw attention to her being pregnant (Matthew 1:18-24). Picture perfect; you have to be kidding me. Yes, they were filled with anticipation and thrilled that their baby boy, named Jesus, had been born. And yet they were confused, felt very alone, perplexed, anxious, and fearful. For Jesus’ birth to have significant meaning for the world, it had to be different from any other birth since the Garden of Eden. Jesus’ birth was called an INCARNATE birth. The one and only incarnate birth to take place in all of history. God had determined that Jesus’ destiny from his human birth was for his life without sin to become the sacrifice for all of us who are with sin. I know the word “sin” isn’t popular and can make us uncomfortable. It isn’t a word we really want to hear or maybe even be reminded of. But the word “sin” is biblically accurate and describes what happens in our lives when we do something that becomes an action against what God wants. It is when our will battles with God’s will and we do what we want in spite of what God wants. Romans 3:23 says we all have sinned. Since every birth from Adam and Eve throughout all of history is connected to the original sin (Eve and Adam, who ate the forbidden fruit), Jesus had to enter the world without blemish, with absolutely no connection to the original sin. The only way that could happen was for God the Holy Spirit to speak Jesus’ existence into Mary’s womb. No human conception. Jesus truly had to be, was, and is still the God-man. This is the only way Jesus could be our Savior.

The Nativity family of Bethlehem (Mary, Joseph, and Jesus) encountered many difficulties, setbacks, struggles, and losses during their life journey. The family was displaced. When Jesus was born in a stable, his family was homeless and had little money. They had to uproot all they knew and had to flee to Egypt to escape the political decree that all baby boys 2 years old and younger be killed, with the goal of the political empire that the would-be Savior of the world would be killed. And the dangers and risks for Jesus didn’t improve. Have you ever pondered the question: Why was the political empire so frightened of Jesus’ existence that they believed he had to be eliminated? And it just wasn’t the political empire or the Jewish leaders that was perplexed by Jesus. Jesus had 4 younger brothers and some sisters (Matthew 13:55; Mark 6:3) who consistently questioned Jesus’ sanity. Joseph, Jesus’ father, was no longer mentioned in scripture after Jesus turned 12. At some point in time, Joseph died after Jesus’ 12th birthday and before Jesus began his public ministry at about age 30. That means Mary and the children had to deal with the death of their father and figure out how to manage their own grief. And they had to figure out how to make ends meet economically without their dad. Throughout the four gospels, we see Jesus’ family question, doubt, express their skepticism, and disbelieve that Jesus was the Savior, the Son of God. Instead, they thought he was having mental allusions. That he might be a little bit crazy. The family was disappointed in Jesus and believed he was embarrassing them. They tried to control him. In their mind they thought they had to keep him from looking foolish. And then, finally, when it mattered most, they recognized that Jesus was who He said He was…Jesus was the Savior of the world, the Son of God, and, after Mary and her children experienced Jesus’ suffering and death, and grieved his loss, they witnessed his resurrection, and enthusiastically served the Church selflessly.

Is there anything that we experience in our lives that Jesus and his family didn’t? I don’t think so. I think, and I believe with a significant certainty of faith, that Jesus gets us because he has been right where we have been, where we are, and where we still have to experience life, no matter what we still have to encounter. Jesus and his family did too. While he maintained his perfection, he is certainly able to understand the power temptations, urges, cravings, shortcomings, and brokenness have on us; how they can own us (Luke 4:1-13). He knows sin can be dressed up to be enticing, engaging, and give an appearance of being cool and fun. After all, Jesus was tempted. Satan tried to get Jesus to chase after immediate gratification rather than be spiritually disciplined; to satisfy his own physical needs (5 senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch) rather than trust God to provide for him. Jesus told Satan NOPE. So, Satan tried a second time. He tried to stroke Jesus’ ego…he tried to tell Jesus he could have all of the power over the world, but Jesus didn’t fall for it; he instead didn’t need to prove himself; he gave credit to His father and gave his all (his body, mind, and soul) to God. Finally, Satan said submit to me, and you can be king. You won’t have to do any suffering, you won’t have to deal with any rejection, you won’t have to go to the cross and die. And Jesus knew his mission, and he surrendered to God’s faithfulness and power. Unlike Jesus, though, we surrender to temptations, urges, and cravings. We experience joys and sorrows in our lives. And while he is excited for us and celebrates with us in the good times, he also stands ready to be there for us when we are broken, in our disappointments and struggles, and when we need a Savior.

No matter what your picture-perfect Christmas may look like, there is only ONE picture-perfect Christmas any of us can really ever experience. It is a personal experience with a Savior named Jesus, who didn’t cave to temptation, who is the only one who can forgive and forget your sins, and help you work through your disappointments, struggles, brokenness, and grief. He can celebrate with you. He can help you enjoy one another, and He can find ways to use you to help others experience him just as you have. He can restore purpose in your life. Whether you have already asked him to be your Savior, know you need to surrender to his gentle tugging, or are just thinking about it, know he gets you, and he stands ready to surround you with his light, grace, joy, love, and peace.

Unwrapping Christmas in your life is a personal journey. I can’t do it for you, and you can’t do it for me. Experiencing a picture-perfect Christmas reveals what you need the Savior to get you through (perhaps it is salvation that can only come with your repentance, maybe you need healing, restoration, renewal, revival, renovation). I invite you to do just as the shepherds and the wisemen did as they sought out the Savior on the very first Christmas…seek a picture-perfect Christmas by saying yes and worshipping the Savior of the world and then celebrate Christmas with the faith that he’s got you, no matter where you’ve been, where you are, or where you may be heading.

Give thanks for the many amazing memories of Christmas you have experienced and ask him to give you a new or restored purpose going forward. Find ways you can experience more Christmas memories. Ask him to use you to shine God through your life into someone else’s.

Maybe have your very own, personal birthday party for Jesus. Whether it is baking a cake or just lighting a birthday candle to honor Jesus…let the light of that candle…brighten your Christmas. While your Christmas might be silent, it can truly be a holy moment in time.

For those of you who may have just chosen Jesus, I encourage you to surround yourself with someone or a few people whom you trust and know can help you grow into God’s best version of you.

Prayer: May the Spirit of God surround you with His light, grace, joy, love, and peace in the midst of your joys and sorrows this Christmas. And may you find a new or renewed purpose for serving God, and that he uses you to touch other people’s lives for Him. Amen.

WAM 12/22/2025