Christmas Extravagance

The first Christmas was extravagant. God did not merely send angels and dreams and give barren women birth. He did not merely involve the stars and stir up the Roman Emperor to perform a census. He not only involved magi from the East, and shepherds in the fields, and governors and soldiers, on top of all of these things and many more, God Himself came. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.

And the extravagance caused a lot of complication, even trouble. Mary and Joseph had to travel down to Bethlehem at the end of her pregnancy, the shepherds left their flocks, the wiseman travelled far, and Herod ordered the slaughter of children. Of course it’s possible to make a big deal about Christmas and forget the central thing, but it’s also possible to resent all the complications, to resent the trouble. It’s possible to despise the extravagance. It’s possible to be stingy, to have a bad attitude, to be bothered by all the parties, all the shopping, all the gifts, all the decorations, all the difficulties. But it was the extravagance of God that saved us from our sins. And it has been His extravagance that has continued to save sinners down through the centuries. His extravagance answers our prayers, gives generously, and fills up our lives with good things. And perhaps most of all, His extravagance interrupts our plans. His goodness complicates our lives. 

So the exhortation is to rejoice in the busy-ness, in the wrapping paper, in the gifts and parties and crumbs and mud tracked into the house. Rejoice in the late nights, in the last minute presents, in the early mornings, and even when the kids get sick or you aren’t able to do what you had hoped to. And even the really hard things: missing loved ones. It’s the goodness of God that highlights the hard things. Rejoice because Immanuel has come. Rejoice and give thanks and embrace the extravagance. Christmas is not about you, it’s not about your comfort, or having the perfect experience, the perfect house, the perfect day: it’s about Christ. He is Lord of Christmas, and He is Lord of your Christmas. So prepare Him room. Make room for His plans. Make room for His extravagance.