Do you know the reason for Christmas? You can walk in almost any Christian bookstore and find a Christmas ornament that reads “Jesus is the reason for the season.” People will even say it to you in passing sometimes. Yesterday, however, I heard a phrase about the reason for Christmas that made me pause. “You are the reason for the season.” When you first hear it, it sounds false, but the reality is you are the reason for the season.

It is because of us and the love God had for us that He sent His Son to earth [John 3:16]. Jesus set His crown aside and pulled back the curtain of heaven to step in and save us from ourselves, literally. Romans 3:23 reminds us “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Without Jesus stepping in, we were doomed to eternity apart from God.

Let’s face it, on our own, we’re a train wreck. Try as we might, we can never pray enough, do enough good deeds, or say enough nice things to get ourselves into heaven. What we come up with is nothing short of filthy rags [Isaiah 64:6]. It all boils down to 2 Corinthians 5:21 “God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.”

So now, when someone says to you “Jesus is the reason for the season,” you can smile at them and reply “So am I.” Just think of the doors of conversation you’ll be opening.