Christmas Is A Time Of Worship

Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.'” Luke 2:13-14 

It’s that time of year again. Here we are, just 12 days out, looking forward to Christmas, again. Looking forward to Christmas is different for different people. Now that you are an adult the Christmas experience is different. You look forward to the presents, you look forward to the excitement, you look forward to spending time with family. But there is also the hustle and bustle this time of year brings that leads to irritability and depression. So we have a decision; we can choose to get bogged down with stress or we can choose to remember the reason for the season.

Scripture gives us a beautiful picture of praise in Luke 2:13-14. When Jesus was born, an angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds sharing the good news. Then many other angels joined together and praised God. That’s not the only place the Bible records angels worshipping the Lord. In Hebrews 1:6 it says, “And when he brought his supreme Son into the world, God said, ‘Let all of God’s angels worship him.'” And Revelation 5:11-12a says, “Then I looked again, and I heard the voices of thousands and millions of angels around the throne and of the living beings and the elders. And they sang in a mighty chorus.” 

Christmas is ultimately about Jesus Christ and the salvation He brings, and the only right response to Jesus is worship. Angels are role models for worship. Angels intentionally and deliberately spend time praising God. Intentional may be a Christian cliché, but it truly cannot be overstated. Our Christian walk is about following Jesus in a broken world, which takes every ounce of our attention, plans, and desires. So let’s be intentional about seeking Him this Christmas.

God provides us many opportunities to worship Him during the Christmas season and every season for that matter. We can worship Him listening to Christmas music; working on a report for work, or when things are quiet and no one is around. Worship is not about us but about God. Worship is our response, both personal and corporate, to God for who He is, and what He has done; expressed in and by the things we say and the way we live. In every daily activity, in every encounter with people, in every circumstance, in every conversation, in every relationship, and in every choice that we make, we learn to increasingly focus on God’s Kingdom, His will and purpose for our lives.   

Today, there are many good things that can distract us from the main point of Christmas: the worship of Jesus Christ. Rather than allow these things to distract us from Christmas, may they be catalysts to propel us toward the worship of our Lord and Savior.  

Discussion Questions:

1. Why do we worship God?
2. What can we do this Christmas season to better worship God?