by Brady Warren

Years ago, when I was a twenty-something year-old working woman, a friend of mine who was a student at Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson shared a Christmas experience she recalled while attending a public liberal arts college. Many of you will remember in college dorm rooms, girls decorate their doors to celebrate different seasons, holidays, and various other celebratory events. Jennifer said that instead of adorning their door with the traditional “Merry Christmas”, “Season’s Greetings”, or embellishing it with snow men, reindeer, and Santa Claus, they decided to place a cross on their door with the message underneath, “This Blood’s for You”, after the highly successful Budweiser slogan of the 80’s & 90’s’s –“This Bud’s for You”. Surprisingly or not surprisingly, she disclosed she and her roommate were assaulted with angry remarks criticizing their choice of door adornment. They simply wished to communicate the entire reason Christ was born to begin with-- to save his people from their sins. I’m sure that arguments may be made from God-fearing Christians that their method might not have been the most polite, but why did it elicit a hasty response of disdain from most of their dorm hall peers? In some ways, and especially at Christmastime, I reduce the gospel to Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, and animals in the stable and sometimes focus too much on tradition and sentimentality. BUT if I reduce the Christmas message to just tradition and sentimentality the entire reason our Savior came in the first place—to save a sick, dying world from sin - is lost. If I am honest with myself, often after the holidays I wind up feeling a little empty because I’ve been looking for fulfillment in people, activities, and things that ultimately cannot satisfy. I want this Christmas to be different. This year, I not only want to worship the Savior who was laid in a manger, but go beyond that and further rejoice in my salvation and strengthen my sanctification by looking to the cross and beyond to my living Savior who has enabled me to live an obedient life through the power of his shed blood on the cross. May the Lord enable us as we adorn our homes with decorations and our hearts with good cheer to continue marching towards Jesus, strengthened by faith through God’s sacrifice of his own Son this Christmas season.