On December 25th many celebrate the birth of Christ: the day God entered his created world in the shape of a baby. 

That is indeed cause for celebrations. But it’s not the whole cause.

Because Christmas Day is not the whole story. It’s just the opening chapter. Our celebrations can only be complete if they embrace what that baby went on to do in his life, why he did it and what it means for us.

A birth in humble, even marginalised circumstances. Early boyhood as a refugee. A roller-coaster 3-year ministry featuring radical new teaching, mind-blowing miracles, compelling stories and the careful nurturing and role-modelling of his closest followers. Culminating in the ultimate self-sacrifice. Willingly following a path from adulation and superstardom to betrayal, torture and execution in the course of a single week. Followed by a miraculous, hope-inspiring and life-instilling resurrection. A triumph of light and life over darkness and death that gives the promise of eternal hope to us all.

As the song says: ‘Man shall live forever more because of Christmas Day’.
That’s why many celebrate Christmas. 

Jesus should be who, what and why we celebrate anything. The real story, the full story of CHRISTmas, begins with a manger and a birth, and ends with the cross and a resurrection. Without the cradle, there can be no cross.

Yet recent research reveals that 40% of people do not even realise that Jesus was a real person who actually lived.

‘The Passion of the Christmas’ is to always ‘Remember why’.

Remember who, what and why we are celebrating this and everything!