Christ In Christmas
Special Edition
Welcome to the Christmas Special Edition letter. Merry Christmas to everyone! Yes, we say Merry Christmas around here, none of that happy holidays nonsense. I hope you’re all having an amazing day and enjoying time with family.
There’s something about Christmas that pulls us back to the center of who we are. Even in a world that feels rushed, sometimes fractured, and distracted, this season has a way of slowing us down and turning our eyes toward something eternal. For the Christian, Christmas is far more than a holiday, far more than gifts, lights, and packed calendars. At it’s core, Christmas is the celebration of the moment God stepped into human history. Not with thunder, not with armies, but with the cry of a newborn child.
The birth of Jesus Christ is the most humbling and hope-filled moment the world has ever known. The prophet Isaiah said, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given…and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6). Those words ring through us that God’s answer to our broken world was not a philosophy or a political shift. His answer was Himself.
He came to us. He came low, in a manger. He came vulnerable, wrapped in cloth. He came as Emmanuel—the God who is with us.
When we talk about the “spirit of Christmas,” we’re not talking about vague feelings of charity or seasonal goodwill. We’re talking about the staggering truth that the Creator of the universe took on flesh and dwelt among us so that we might be saved. Christmas is God proving that He refuses to give up on His people. It is the arrival of hope Himself. And amid that hope, God also gave us another gift—family.
Not the perfect, smiling, postcard version of family. Not the airbrushed, conflict-free kind we see in advertising. The real kind. The kind that laughs together, hurts together, forgives one another, and grows together. The kind God places in our lives because He knows we need one another.
Christmas reminds us that God chose to bring His Son into a family. Jesus wasn’t born in isolation. He was entrusted to a mother and a father who would raise Him, teach Him, and protect Him. And even though Joseph and Mary didn’t have much, they had what mattered; obedience, faithfulness, and a willingness to trust God.
This season, with all of its noise and celebration, can also magnify the things we feel deeply. For many people, Christmas brings joy—gathering with loved ones, watching kids open presents, sharing meals, and creating memories. For others, Christmas stirs up grief, or loneliness, or reminders of those who are missing from our table this year. But in every season, Christmas points us back to something unshakeable. God gave us His Son so we would never be alone again.
Luke’s Gospel says, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.” That peace is not found in our circumstances. It’s not found in having a picture-perfect December. It’s found in the Person lying in that manger—Jesus Christ, the Savior.
Let me encourage you to treasure the people God has placed in your life. Slow down enough to see them, to appreciate them. Cherish your spouse. Hold your children close. Call the family member you’ve been meaning to reconnect with. Extend forgiveness wherever bitterness has taken root. Give grace as freely as God has given it to you. Family is a gift, not a guarantee. And Christmas is a reminder that God Himself values family enough to step into one.
Whether your home this year is filled with voices and laughter or quiet and reflection, the message remains the same. Christ has come. Light has entered the darkness. Hope has taken on flesh and dwells among us.
Let this be a time we thank God for His generosity, not just giving us a Savior but in giving us people to love and be loved by.
So from my heart to yours this Christmas, may you feel the nearness of Jesus. May your home be filled with peace and love. May your family be a treasured gift that points you back to the One who came so we might have life.
Merry Christmas to all of my wonderful subscribers and to any of you who happen to read this letter.
“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”
-Clement Clarke Moore
Let Christ be your Cornerstone this week and always.
With care and faith,
Mike