As Christians, we make much of Christmas Day, and for good reason. Only once in history did God come to earth as a human baby, born of a virgin, and destined to die on our behalf (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:22-23; Luke 2:10-11). Never had God set aside His glory to take on human flesh (John 1:14; Philippians 2:5-8). Never had a virgin conceived (Luke 1:34-35).
Best of all, never did we have such grace poured out on men that though we will all die, through Christ we may yet live (Romans 6:23; John 11:25-26). When we celebrate Christmas, we celebrate all this, and so much more. One day each year, we put aside our selfishness and marvel at the miracle of Jesus’s birth and all its future implications. But what about the day after Christmas?
On the day after Christmas, do we continue to marvel at the miraculous and unsurpassable love of our Savior (1 John 3:1; Romans 5:8)? Do we still seek the One who was to come and now has come? When the Christmas lights have dimmed, do we still feel the urgency of proclaiming the good news that a Savior was born and telling that good news to everyone we meet (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 1:8)? It’s easy to be on our best behavior when we’re caught up in the spirit of the season, but if the reason for the season does not change your heart, then all the pomp and pageantry are meaningless and will leave you emptier than you were before.
Over the years, Christmas has become less about Christ and more about gifts, decorations, and consumption. In writing terms, we’ve lost the plot. There is a reason we celebrate, and it has nothing to do with what most of us have been experiencing for the past month or more. Jesus came to give His life so that we would have a way to share His life for eternity (John 3:16; John 10:10). This gift was not only for one day a year, but for the day after that, and every day to come. We’ve exchanged the eternality of Christmas for the temporary bliss of a single day.
The question we must answer is how will our lives be different the day after Christmas? Does the knowledge that the Creator God of the Universe humbled Himself for you change how you will live the rest of your life (Romans 12:1-2)? Jesus came to live on earth, yes, but the reason He came to live was so that He might die for you (Mark 10:45). The purpose for the birth we celebrate on Christmas is the death of that baby thirty years later. His birth made His death possible, and His death makes eternal life possible for all who will believe in Him (John 14:6; 1 John 5:11-12).
The day after Christmas was the next step toward Jesus’s sacrificial death on the cross. Without Christmas, there would never be an Easter. No birth, no death, and no death, no resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:13-17). The day after Christmas is also the day each of us must decide if our lives will be more of the same or changed by the coming of the Lord and King of Kings. If Christmas is just a day to give gifts, stuff our bellies, and feign happiness for a moment in time, then we’re missing the entire point.
Love has come for the world to know we can have life that is both abundant and eternal (John 10:10; 1 John 4:9-10). We can have forgiveness for every sin, and healing for every heartache (1 John 1:9; Psalm 147:3). Jesus came on Christmas, yes, but He is still here the day after (Matthew 28:20b). His life is yours for the asking (Romans 10:9; Revelation 3:20). Make this day the day that everything changes forever.