THE ESSENCE OF CHRISTMAS (1 OF 3)
by Scott Maze
Scripture: Philippians 2:5-11
This content is part of a series.
The Essence of Christmas (1 of 3)
Series: Christmas, Love Extended
Scott Maze
Philippians 2:5-11
It’s three weeks and just twenty-one days until Christmas. Christmas is so exciting for so many reasons: students are soon to be out of school, teachers are soon to be off from school, and lights are everywhere. Who doesn’t like presents for everyone brimming from underneath a Christmas tree? Andy Williams captured the sentiment of the season for many of us:
It’s the most wonderful time of the year
With the kids jingle belling
And everyone telling you be of good cheer
It’s the most wonderful time of the year
It’s the hap-happiest season of all
With those holiday greetings and gay happy meetings
When friends come to call
It’s the hap-happiest season of all.
Today, Christmas is a worldwide phenomenon observed in a million ways every year by billions of people. Churches will celebrate Christmas with candlelight celebrations to pageants to even live nativities with many of the animals that witnessed the first Christmas. Christmas has come a long way.
Go with me to the Louvre in Paris, France, for a moment. Two years ago, an anonymous bidder paid $98,000 to see the Mona Lisa out of her display case at Paris’ Louvre museum. This bidder was able to get up close to the famous painting with the thick layer of bulletproof glass and all the barriers set up to protect the Mona Lisa. The Louvre described the experience this way: ‘‘You will be able to look straight into the eyes of the Mona Lisa and admire this iconic work from up close. The magical experience will continue with a private tour of the Italian masterpieces ... Leonardo da Vinci [and] Raphael.’’ Surely paying $98,000 just to see something even as great as the Mona Lisa at its essence and without any filters is a bit much.
Sometimes you want to see something just as it is, at its essence. Sometimes the layers of Christmas can be more like barnacles on a ship that needs to be removed in o ...
Series: Christmas, Love Extended
Scott Maze
Philippians 2:5-11
It’s three weeks and just twenty-one days until Christmas. Christmas is so exciting for so many reasons: students are soon to be out of school, teachers are soon to be off from school, and lights are everywhere. Who doesn’t like presents for everyone brimming from underneath a Christmas tree? Andy Williams captured the sentiment of the season for many of us:
It’s the most wonderful time of the year
With the kids jingle belling
And everyone telling you be of good cheer
It’s the most wonderful time of the year
It’s the hap-happiest season of all
With those holiday greetings and gay happy meetings
When friends come to call
It’s the hap-happiest season of all.
Today, Christmas is a worldwide phenomenon observed in a million ways every year by billions of people. Churches will celebrate Christmas with candlelight celebrations to pageants to even live nativities with many of the animals that witnessed the first Christmas. Christmas has come a long way.
Go with me to the Louvre in Paris, France, for a moment. Two years ago, an anonymous bidder paid $98,000 to see the Mona Lisa out of her display case at Paris’ Louvre museum. This bidder was able to get up close to the famous painting with the thick layer of bulletproof glass and all the barriers set up to protect the Mona Lisa. The Louvre described the experience this way: ‘‘You will be able to look straight into the eyes of the Mona Lisa and admire this iconic work from up close. The magical experience will continue with a private tour of the Italian masterpieces ... Leonardo da Vinci [and] Raphael.’’ Surely paying $98,000 just to see something even as great as the Mona Lisa at its essence and without any filters is a bit much.
Sometimes you want to see something just as it is, at its essence. Sometimes the layers of Christmas can be more like barnacles on a ship that needs to be removed in o ...
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