Regardless of what the modern news media may tell you, Christmas is about Jesus. Of course it is the season of love and joy. Of course it is the season of giving. But all of the love, all of the joy, and all of the giving is because of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Without Jesus there would be no Christmas season. Let me explain.

It may come as a shock to some people, but before Jesus was born there was no Christmas. It is a known fact that the birth of Jesus 2,000 years ago is the date the Julian and Gregorian calendars use as the anchor for all dates. For example, the United States was founded in the year 1776 AD (Anno Domini) or "1776 in the Year of Our Lord." The birth of Jesus is the basis for the AD system of dating.

However, the value and purpose of Christmas is much deeper than just a dating system of time. The birth of Jesus marks the beginning of a new phase of God's plan for mankind. It has been said that when Jesus came to earth, it was the greatest chapter in the story of the glory. Here is what that means.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1). He created man in His own image and likeness and placed him in a garden east of Eden (v. 26; Genesis 2:15). Man was covered with the glory of God. The relationship between God and man was very intimate. God gave man authority over the garden. Like today, there were things he was to do and there were some things he was not supposed to do (Genesis 2:16-17).

Because man was disobedient, he lost the ability to fellowship with his Creator (Genesis 3). The glory of God was taken away and man realized he was naked. It looked like he was doomed to an eternal existence alone without the closeness of the presence of God (the glory) — but God had a plan.

God loved His creation so much that after 4,000 years He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus, to the earth in the form of a man. He was a part of the wonderful plan to break down the wall that separated man from God. Jesus lived a perfect life as a man (2 Corinthians 5:21). He was the Son of God, but He set that all aside and lived for 33 years as a sinless man. He laid down His life on the cross and became a perfect sacrifice.

After three days, Jesus came back to life. He taught His disciples for forty days and then was taken into heaven to be with His Father, God (Acts 1:1-9). And today, He is waiting to return to the earth to collect the Church (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). Everyone who believes and confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, that God raised Him from the dead, and does not deny Jesus, is a part of the Church and has eternal life. Life is always better than death.

Christmas is the celebration of a birth in Bethlehem. Christmas is the celebration of the birth of a Savior who laid down His life so we could have life. Christmas is the celebration of the Light entering the world so that we do not have to live in darkness (John 8:12).

Christmas is the celebration of Jesus. Without Jesus, there is no reason to celebrate. We show our love for Him by loving, forgiving, and giving to others. Jesus said they (non-Christians) will know we are Christians by the way we love each other (John 13:35).