Scripture says that before the foundation of the world the lamb of God was slain. In simple definition that statement tells us that before God created humanity, he already knew man would fall into sin, so he made the decision to redeem us before he ever even created us.
To me this truth makes the story of Christmas all the more fascinating. Father God, conceived his son in the womb of a virgin and birthed him into earth as an infant. We know he gave his son in unprecedented fashion on the cross, but he first gave him to the cradle. What must the moment of Christmas have been like in heaven? The Father had to be accutely aware, not so much of how his son would enter earth, but how he would exit it. He released him into swaddling clothes but he would not receive him back until he had been wrapped in grave clothes.
This leads me to one conclusion: the real Christmas tree is not a beautiful evergreen, adorned with ornaments and tinsel, under-laid with gifts. Instead, the real Christmas tree was made of two rugged timbers. It's tinsel was the red blood of Jesus, there was no star on top of it, just a crown of thorns and a derogatory sign of ridicule. This tree's ornaments were not shiny balls glittering with gold and silver, but rather three long, most-likely rusty nails. There was no present under the tree instead the present was on the tree--Jesus himself, the son of God, giving the greatest gift a man could ever give: 'to lay down his life for another...'
Thank God the Father this year for The Real Christmas Tree... Without the hope it brings, we have no Reason for the Season!
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