Allow The Season Of Christmas To Be A Season Of Evangelism

In less than a week, Christians around the world will celebrate an unprecedented event: the miraculous birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. This time of year is often notable by the unique energy that surrounds it. Most describe it as a time when people seem to be more willing to pause for conversation, more compassionate, and more giving. It is what we call 'The Christmas Spirit.' And while I do not want to overturn that ambiance, I want to add to the spirit of Christmas by calling on us to mark this season with an additional description: the spirit of evangelism.

The story of Christmas begins long before the physical birth of Christ. Before he ever announces the Messiah's arrival, Matthew starts by announcing the Messiah's anticipation. He declares all the generations until Jesus Christ, reviewing for readers the long history of anticipating the coming Christ, the anointed One who would save people from their sins (Matthew 1:1, 21). The list is a who's who of the greatest patriarchs and kings throughout history; it's also a list of the greatest sinners throughout history. Despite their nobility and notoriety, every single person in the lineage was in need of this anticipated Savior.

Like any good Jew, Matthew begins by tracing Christ’s record all the way back to Abraham. Long before he had a son, God told Abraham that he would make him a great nation (Genesis 12:1-4). And after his willingness to submit that son to God's authority (Genesis 22), God says something very precise: "in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed because you have obeyed my voice” (v. 18). It seems fitting that the first chapter and the last chapter of Matthew’s Gospel would act as reminders of that blessing (while the chapters in between describe the One who would fulfill that promise). In chapter one, Abraham is the beginning source of Christ's lineage, clearly demonstrating that He is the blessing that God spoke of to Abraham.

And then, Matthew terminates his Gospel with a declaration from Christ to continue that blessing to all nations by going into all world and declaring Him and His work (Matthew 28:19-20). Because of my understanding of this structure in Matthew, when I come to the birth of Christ, I cannot help but pause and reflect on the ongoing faithfulness of God in the following three ways:

• Historically: The time of Abraham (where Matthew begins in verse 1) to the time of Christ’s resurrection and resolution (where Matthew ends his book) spans just over 2000 years. The genealogy that Matthew shares in 1:1-17 is a testimony to the enduring faithfulness of God. Despite the wickedness represented by some of the most evil in that list, and regardless of the time that has elapsed, there is a beautiful attribution to God remaining faithful to His promises and His people. This picture is made even more incredible when you consider that it's been slightly less than 2000 years since the time of Christ, and that time frame is also marked by God's faithfulness. That's 4000 years of seeing God's plan continue.

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• Globally: It’s also a testimony of God’s faithfulness globally. The birth of Christ is celebrated globally, even if it is suppressed in certain parts of the world more than others. Does that surprise you? It shouldn't. Even in Paul's time, he wrote to the Colossians that the gospel was bearing fruit and increasing in the whole world (Colossians 1:5-6).

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• Personally: And of course, this time of the year is always a reminder of God's personal faithfulness. Remembering the birth of Christ reflects our individual need for a Savior and God's commitment to providing one. Indeed, it was God who gave the greatest Christmas gift of all by giving us a reason to celebrate Christmas. He gave Christ so that those who would call on Him would be saved (Romans 10:8-13).

This time of year is a simple reminder of God’s faithfulness and of the need for Christ. The Gospel story of Matthew shares God’s faithfulness through Christ, proclaiming that the blessing to the nations through Abraham is here (cf. 1:1), and therefore, urges others to take that blessing to the nations (Matthew 28:19-20).

Had it not been for someone proclaiming the birth, life, sacrifice, and resurrection of Christ to us, we would have little reason to enjoy the Christmas spirit. We would have little recognition of who we are (sinners), and thus no understanding of who He is (Savior), and so there would be little reason for us to enjoy the Christmas season with the same joy that we do today. As we go forth to celebrate God's ultimate gift, His Son, it seems like a reasonable time to REFLECT ON that magnificent work by remembering God’s faithfulness to us. However, now is also a reasonable time to REFLECT that magnificent work by faithfully serving Him through the proclamation of that magnificent work. Let us not forget to make the season of Christmas a season of evangelism.