Christianity

God sent his son into the world…

I confess that I have been—for my entire life—an unabashed reveler in schmaltzy Christmas traditions. The music, the food, the movies, the anticipation of the season. I’ve always loved it. Nevertheless, it is also true that every year I find myself less and less satisfied by the pablum of the season and more and more desirous of something more. I identify with Charlie Brown’s consternation at the end of that TV special, “Isn’t there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?!”

I’m not writing this to dump on Christmas traditions—even the schmaltzy ones. My family has them, and we will continue to keep them. I simply want to make much of what those traditions are supposed to be about. It is about God sending his Son into the world not to condemn the world but to save the world through him. And if you miss that, then you have missed everything that matters.

That was the message I delivered to our church yesterday, and it is the message I am sharing with you now. You can download it here or listen below.


“For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him.”
John 3:17

Merry Christmas!