It’s that time of year again. Christmas has come and with it a joyous time of celebration. For many, there are warm parties, cozy homes, fond traditions, and gifts to be shared. However, sometimes we get lost in the season and forget the reason we celebrate it, to begin with. Among the hustle and bustle, our focus is lost and priorities are misaligned.

Why do we truly celebrate Christmas? Not Santa Claus, or the Christmas tree, or any other of the various traditions wrapped up into Christmas. Why do we celebrate this occasion—and why is it so important? At the heart of Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the Son of God who came to redeem all mankind and call them to himself. God sent His Son to become a man on earth in order that one day he would become the payment for the sins of the world, past, present, and future. Christmas is a day of remembrance and worship.

While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. 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 that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.

Luke 2:6-11

I know the busyness of the season can cause time to fly and before we know it, the holiday has passed and we have forgotten why we were celebrating it in the first place. Certainly, enjoy the parties and food and gifts, but don’t forget to point your heart, family, and those around you to Christmas’ true meaning: Christ came with a plan for our redemption.