The Real Deal of Christmas
When George Frideric Handel feverishly wrote for a solid thirteen hours in composing the famous oratorio Messiah, it was a real deal! Written in 1741, it is still much loved today.
When General George Washington knelt for prayer in the snow at Valley Forge (1777–1778), praying for his army to survive the bitter winter and the Revolutionary War, it was a real deal!
When Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” on Christmas Day in 1863 during the Civil War, it was a real deal to him.
When I go shopping for pricey things, I want what I buy to be genuine. I want the real deal! Who would want fake silver or imitation gold? None of us would.
My parents were country people with limited resources, but they taught my brothers and me to choose things of good quality and with lasting value.
As we come to Christmas, I submit to you my testimony that it is the real deal! We could call it the deal of a lifetime. It is the deal we must not miss. I think of the song that says,
Take the world, but give me Jesus. All its joys are but a name;
But His love abideth ever, Through eternal years the same.
Refrain Oh, the height and depth of mercy!
Oh, the length and breadth of love!
Oh, the fullness of redemption,
Pledge of endless life above! —Fanny Crosby
When our family gets together for the celebration of Christmas and cherishes the time of sweet, loving fellowship, it’s a real deal! We love the time together to sing the songs of Christmas, read again the biblical account of the birth of Christ, pray together, open gifts and eat all the sweets we want. What a deal!
When we go to a church that is alive and well to celebrate Christ mas in sincerity, it is a much loved real deal. The sweetness of reliving the birth of Christ and rejoicing together with brothers and sisters in Christ is a time of great joy.
“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”—Luke 2:11–14.
It is only in Christ that we can have that peace, joy and good will. This is the real deal!
So What Do I Want for Christmas?
That’s an easy question to answer, but the answer is not something that can be bought. I want to go to church, worship the Lord, give thanks for the birth of Christ and the redemption we have through Him.
I want times of loving expressions together with family and friends. I want the time to deepen the relationships and demonstrate the sincerity of our affection.
I want to have some personal time of quiet reflection with the Lord and to thank Him for His goodness and grace. The really good life is a life of faith. It is, indeed, the real deal that has changed my life.
Christmas is the real deal because it is the time of special celebration of the birth of Christ Jesus our Savior! He is the real deal and the greatest gift that we could ever receive!
What a deal!
