What is Christmas to you?

Well, the holiday season is coming upon us and it is time to do it again.  Do what?  Shop, gifts, etc.  The question that should be before you is, “Does any of this, being 100% honest, what Christmas is to you?”

Is Christmas commercialism, gifts and family, celebration of  the birth of your Savior, see what you can get, a time of rest, or a million other things?  Reading Mark 10:32-45 (NIV) this is what I would call the beginning of thinking about Christmas!

You may wonder why I would see this passage as the beginning of Christmas rather than it being the beginning of Easter but if His death and resurrection never occurred then we would not need to celebrate His birth.  Right?

In this passage, Jesus is telling everyone about His death that is coming.  When He does this, James and John ask if they can be in His glory!  Wow, can you imagine if you told someone you are going to die and they asked for your possessions.  Or if you were going to celebrate someone’s birthday and taking all of their gifts.

Believe me, I have taken all I can and realize how wrong this can be.  I am not throwing stones but rather realizing how much I have messed up.  So, instead of asking God for His glory or keeping everything and not helping people that have so much less, I think this is the key and how Jesus responded to James and John:

Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”  Mark 10:43-45 (NIV)

Are you a servant?  Are you a slave to all?  If you are a Christian, what did God do so that we may be forgiven?  Go and do likewise!