Birthday parties are really fun celebrations. I think back on my own children’s birthday parties and they were always important events that we celebrated with much planning, preparation and anticipation. My children were also guests at numerous birthday parties during those years. These birthdays were celebrated in a variety of ways. Roller skating or bowling were both popular activities with which to celebrate the birthday, as were Build a Bear and Chuck E Cheese as venues. The birthday was celebrated with food and gifts before the final activity of singing to the birthday child, whereafter he or she would blow out the candles on their birthday cake and every guest got to eat some of the coveted cake. Not only did the guests partake of the cake, they were also sent home with goodie bags, containing gifts for themselves even though it wasn’t their birthday. 

Now depending upon how big these parties were and whether it was one where the whole class was invited, the party guests had varying degrees of relationship with the person who had issued the invitation, the person whose birthday was actually being celebrated. But even if a particular guest did not know the person well whose birthday was being celebrated, they could still participate fully in all the activities surrounding the event, such as skating, enjoying the food, singing and eating cake and hanging out with friends at the same party doing the same thing. They didn’t really have to know who they were celebrating in order to enjoy all the various aspects of the party. Maybe it was more about the party than the person anyway?

As adults we may also be guests at events where we don’t know the person being celebrated all that well. It may be a work event honoring a coworker we don’t know personally. But that doesn’t stop us from participating in the festivities, enjoying the food and the fun, even though we have no personal connection to who is being recognized. After all, who doesn’t love a good party? 

I’m thinking this may describe the season and the celebration of Advent we are in today. Christmas is celebrated around the world in many different ways by many different cultures. Christmas is a birthday party – a world wide party celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. The name of the holiday literally means “Christ’s mass” or “Christ’s celebration”. That should be a clue right there as to who we are honoring at this party we call Christmas. The guest list for this party is all inclusive. Everyone is invited to come and to celebrate God’s gift to the world of His only Son.

“For to us a child is born, to us a Son is given, and the government will be on HIs shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.” (Isaiah 9:6-7) 

This is really good news! No wonder the month of December around the world is one big birthday party celebration, observed with different foods and customs in different parts of the world – but celebrated nonetheless. We are celebrating the birth of God’s Son, Jesus, the promised Messiah for all mankind. 

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

We may come to this birthday party bearing a gift for the Christ child, like the Wise Men did, when they brought their gifts to Jesus. But if we accept the goodie bag given to us freely at this birthday party, we receive the gift of eternal life. That’s a pretty good gift to take away from this celebration. 

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23) 

Everyone receives an invitation to this birthday party and everyone is offered a goodie bag prepared just for them. There are no exclusions. 

“The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)

People all over the world fully participate in all the activities surrounding the celebration of Christ’s birth, despite the fact they don’t know Him personally. We decorate, we bake cookies, we put up Christmas trees, we give and receive gifts, we sing the songs of the season – which include everything from “Glory to the newborn King”, to “Santa Clause is coming to town” to “I’m dreaming of a white Christmas.” Some of these songs, such as “The First Noel”, remind us of the miraculous event that happened two-thousand twenty-three years ago, the birth of the Savior, which we are still celebrating today.  

As I write this, the global birthday party is in full swing. People are only too happy to be invited to participate in all the festivities, fun and food. But many participate in the party without ever coming into contact with the guest of honor. And when the celebration draws to a close, they leave the party without their goodie bag. They don’t receive the gift that was offered to them, the gift made possible by the coming of the Christ Child. How sad to attend the party, never meet the guest of honor and then leave empty handed. 

In our culture, the lead certainly has become buried in the celebration of Christmas. Oh, there are still some clues for those who have eyes to see. Stars or angels atop Christmas trees are symbols of the night of Jesus’s birth. It was an angel who appeared to the shepherds in the field, giving them the good news that Jesus had been born. And it was a special star that guided the three Wise Men on their long journey to find Jesus and worship Him. 

“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.’ “ (Luke 2:8-12)

This is the lead that has been buried beneath all the festivities of the birthday party of the King. ”Unto us a child is given, unto us a Son is born,” “a Savior has been born to you!” to us, to you and to me! Our promised Redeemer has come, hope has entered into our hopeless world. 

“The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)

Immanuel, God with us, this is the lead that today is buried beneath our cultural customs attached to this birthday party. There are so many fun activities for us to do, that we really don’t have any extra time to seek out the guest of honor and get to know Him. It wasn’t any different on that first Christmas – the lead was buried then also. The people were looking for a powerful, political king with a crown to deliver them from Roman oppression. So they overlooked the helpless baby in the manger, except for the shepherds, who listened to the angel and followed his instructions to go and worship the newborn King. The rest of the world went on with business as usual, not realizing the miracle that had taken place in their very midst.

This Advent season I don’t want the lead to be buried. I am celebrating a miracle. God has come and He’s coming again. The angel brought “good news of great joy for All people.” That’s a reason to celebrate. God came here to redeem His people. That includes you and me, dear readers. ”Let every heart prepare Him room.” I want to be ready when He comes. Advent is all about preparing to receive the coming King.

“Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is He, this King of glory? The Lord Almighty – He is the King of glory.” (Psalm 24:7-10)

sincerely,  Grace Day