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Today on the podcast, we are talking about what truly saves us. At this time of year, we are constantly driven by our never-ending, ever-lengthening to-do list. But, we are urged to pause and be reminded of the true purpose of all of our Christmas to-do’s. We must behold the wonder of Christ’s arrival and come adore Christ at Christmas. That’s it. Join me today to talk about why this can reaffirm your faith and lead to a more worship-filled, grace-filled Christmas.

This is Season 1 Episode 18 of the More Beautiful Life Collective Podcast. I’m Cayce Fletcher, and I hope you’ll join me to create a life you love and cultivate your heart for God. If this is your first time listening to the show, don’t forget to leave a rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts to help others find this show. Now onto the episode.

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The Hustle and Bustle of the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

I have been avoiding writing this podcast. It’s halfway writer’s block and halfway pure procrastination. I look around and see so many things to do with the list getting ever longer as we tick the days one by one to Christmas. On top of the regular cleanup – currently, I have toys strewn across the floor, 2.5 ornaments to glue back together, floors to mop and toilets to scrub for company coming for dinner, meals to prep, and the choir performance at church needs a dish made to share – just sitting here I could come up with 20 other things to do.

S1E40 – What is Theology Proper?: 3 Questions to Help You Know God Better – A More Beautiful Life Collective Podcast

We have to start our study of theology by looking at Theology Proper. This is the study of who God is, what God is like, and what God’s nature is. As we look at theology proper, we are focusing primarily on how knowing God more leads to (1) worship and (2) a deeper love. Our study of God should inspire us to know and love God more and more. This podcast will dive into 3 questions that will help you to know God better to start your study of Theology Proper. The Deuteronomy 34 passage is actually EXODUS* 34:5-7. Sorry! View the full post here. Get the Doctrine and Theology Cheat Sheet Here. Get a list of the names of God here. Get a copy of our personal statement of faith creation guide here. Get “Building Our Foundations: 10 Week Study” here. . Visit our Shop to get a copy of any of the resources mentioned in this episode: Read the full post here. I’m your host, Cayce Fletcher, and you can learn a little bit more about me here. While you’re here, would you consider leaving a comment, rating, or review? You can find our podcast, A More Beautiful Life Collective Podcast, wherever you listen to podcasts. Listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, or watch on YouTube. Subscribe to the blog for access to our latest content and some freebies. I love creating and sharing resources with you. You can find all of our resources at A More Beautiful Life Collective Shop. Keep creating a life you love, and cultivating your heart for God.

It’s funny that at Christmas we often find ourselves looking much more like Martha, than Mary. We sing about coming to adore Christ, to behold him. But, we often are too busy with our to-do’s to pause and even acknowledge Christ at Christmas. We definitely don’t have time to adore him.

Each night this week, I’ve found myself creating two lists in my head as I hit the pillow after a long day. On one side, I think about the things I have done right: Did I read my Bible? Yes, okay 5 points. Did I eat a meal at home? Perfect, 10 points. Did I get that project done for the youth group? Great job, 20 points. But, then I start to think about all the things I did wrong: Did I forget to read my kids a Bible story? Minus 10 points. Did I stop and get a coffee on the way back from the grocery store? Minus 15 points. Did I put on a movie when I finished up that church project? Minus 50.

Every day ends up being this massive calculation done on a scale I’ve made for myself. Are there things I’ve done that measure up to my ideals: Did I get the cloth diapers washed? Did I look at social media? Did I clean the fridge? Are there things that I’ve fallen short on? Did I get outside enough today? Did we eat too much sugar? Is my pool still uncovered and it’s December? (The answer is yes.)

To be honest, I think I’ve made these calculations about my life for my whole life. If I did things right, then I could feel like that day was a good day and I was a good person. I would just feel plain good like I was moving forward. If I did things wrong, then I would feel like a failure. I would feel like life was out of control. I would feel like I could never be good enough.

So, in my quest to feel good and to feel like a righteous person, I add more and more to my plate, especially around the holiday season. Making a stocking for my daughter, sure why not? Leading carols at the Christmas Eve service, I have to right? Making my house look like a hallmark movie, well that will be tricky, but maybe I need to try… because if I don’t, I’ve failed.

But, what I’ve found is that we will never measure up to our ideals because life is real and messy and full of chaotic and messy places and people. We dream about a picturesque Christmas, an idyllic marriage and family life, a picture-perfect life. But, that just isn’t real life. And so, because our dream doesn’t match our reality, we feel like failures. Of course, we don’t like that feeling and so we try to self-medicate it away, either by minimizing our dreams or by doing something to distract ourselves. We pile on our to-do list and get depleted in a season of busyness trying so hard to make this dream reality. All this doing sucks us dry.

And, why? Because we are not focusing on what we truly need to do.

This is the season of beholding and adoring Christ at Christmas.

So stop the hustle and bustle. O Come Let Us Adore Him.

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Beholding: Looking to Christ at Christmas

Every year, at Christmas, we read the Christmas story. It’s a special time, but one that can get repetitive. I’m nearing my thirties, so that is more than thirty times reading the same story. At some point, we may even find that we can start to quote it ourselves. But, the amazing thing about God’s word is that we can read the same passage over and over and then be struck by something in the passage. A word, a phrase, a word picture we’ve read but never truly seen.

As I was reading this year, I noticed the word, “Behold” over and over again throughout the Christmas story. Always it was said in a current context, generally when an angel came to deliver a word to one of our key players in the Christmas story, Zechariah, Mary, Joseph, and the Shepherds. The word always makes me think of Lioness in Charlie Brown as the lights dim and the spotlight is turned to his face and he begins to quote the passage from Luke 2, “And behold.”

What is so special about this word?

Beholding is a somewhat archaic way of saying “Look, I’m going to show you something.” And, I think it’s interesting that we get that admonishment over and over again from these messengers of God. They don’t say “Be quiet and listen!” (This is what I’ve said over and over again as a teacher when I want someone to hear what I’m about to say.) Instead, they are adamant that mankind needs to pay attention and see what God is about to do. God’s actions at this moment are something to behold – they are a wonder, impressive, important. And, at this moment, nothing was truly required from the hearers of the word of God other than to look and believe that God would do what he said he would do. They point us to Christ at Christmas.

They must behold. And, beholding would lead to belief. Belief in God and in his Son.

God is telling them that he is going to do a new and wonderful thing. In each case, (sometimes with their own sets of trials to overcome and grow through), each of these key players was able to behold God’s work and they believed.

So what does beholding require?

Beholding requires time to pause, take in, and consider. Time to wonder at what is taking place. In each of these cases, the hearers turned and wondered to each other, well how can this be? But, they needed time to be able to listen and consider.
Beholding requires an open heart. In the case of Zechariah, we find someone who does not react in a way that is acceptable. He doubted the word of God and demanded proof. Zechariah had a closed heart, that didn’t trust that God would do what he said he would do. This was shown in his punishment. Through the months of silence he endured, he grew in faith, so much so that he named his child John, the name the angel said would be the name of the child. And, his first words were praising God.

With time and an open heart, beholding leads to belief in God’s wonderful works. Beholding leads to belief in Christ at Christmas.

The Purpose of the Arrival Christ at Christmas

We often think about the birth of Jesus as we retell the story over and over again. Importantly, Christmas is a moment to consider the gift of Jesus’ life, a cliched phrase that contains a deep truth. Through Christmas, we see a fulfillment of the prophecies of God. A waiting for hope realized in the person of Jesus. This fulfillment gives us hope in the future fulfillment of God’s promises, the second coming of Jesus. The hope of the world being made right.

If Jesus only had come, we wouldn’t have this fulfillment of our hope. If Jesus had lived his life and done his ministry, we still wouldn’t have this fulfillment of our hope. Christmas points through to Easter. It is not only a celebration of his birth, but also a reminder of his death on the cross and resurrection.

Jesus’ birth was a gift because of the sacrifice he made on the cross.

When we think about Christ at Christmas, we must be reminded of this.

What Saves You?

As I think about my lists, measuring how good – or righteous – of a person I am based on how well I match the ideals I’ve set for myself – I remind myself of those Pharisees of Israel that Jesus had come to save, argued with throughout his life, and ultimately was crucified by. Those Pharisees thought in terms not that much different than me. They measured their lives by how much they accomplished, and how much they did. How self-righteous they were.

Jesus knew that truly their self-righteousness would not save them. They had rejected Jesus. Nothing that they did would actually save them at this point.

We are only saved through justification in Christ Jesus. Through Jesus’ work on the cross – as our sacrifice and high priest – he perfectly fulfills the debt that we have. No amount of our work can add or take away from that. This is the gospel, the good news that spread like wildfire in the early church. That we can be saved, and then made perfect, through the work of God by his Son in the Spirit.

The gospel is not new news to me today. But, sometimes I find myself needing to hear it again. A different gospel pervades our culture. We hear frequently in response to the question of what will happen when you die, a sentiment of “Well, I hope I’ve done enough. Well, I think I’m a good enough person” to get to the kingdom of heaven. It is a gospel of works that emphasizes our actions or our own self-righteousness.

John Calvin said the heart and mind of man is “a perpetual forge of idols.” We are an idol factory. Yes, our idols may come in the form of influencers and likes on social media, or billion-dollar grossing pop stars and their romance with NFL players, or even men in furry red cap and suits proclaiming the ‘magic’ of Christmas. But, just as often, our idols come from our ideals. We have created for ourselves a standard – a law – that we must reach. If we fall short, we are condemned. But, we have condemned ourselves. Jesus does not condemn us. Jesus has come to save us from this ‘perpetual forge of idols.’

We behold the great message of Jesus. This new thing – this new covenant – that we can enter into through what Jesus has done through his life, death, and resurrection. We can relate to God differently now. Our self-proclaimed righteousness doesn’t have to be a heavy weight on our shoulders anymore.

When we come and behold him, we come and behold the truth of the gospel.

Adoring Christ at Christmas

And what does that lead us to? Beholding is always tied up in praise. As Zechariah, Mary, Elizabeth, and the angels saw this new wondrous thing they couldn’t help but praise God. When we recognize now all that we have received in Christ at Christmas, we can’t help but praise God ourselves. Beholding is tied to Adoring.

So, we stop the hectic movement of Martha and we come and sit at Jesus’ feet. We pause and look up at our Savior, remembering him as a tiny baby, as a great teacher, and as a broken sacrifice on the cross. And then, we remember and look forward to Christ the King triumphant, the alpha and omega, beginning and end that will return. We adore him as Holy Holy Holy. Forever and Ever Amen. Come Lord Jesus Come.

How can you more adore Christ at Christmas?

Yes, your to-do’s will always be there, but pause this Christmas and create space in your schedule to dwell with him. Open up your Bible and heart. Pray earnestly. Sing carols and think about what it means to truly worship in this moment. Learn about the symbolism of Christmas and wonder at the truths that are nestled within the decorations, legends, and stories. Worship together with your family and friends. Magnify Christ as you consider the common grace extended to all around you.

Christmas is not about the doing. The Christian walk is never about the doing. It’s always about the Beholding and Adoring which leads to Becoming more sanctified in Christ.

Let’s pray.

Lord, we love you. For the sacrifice that you gave us. For the birth of your son. For the life of Jesus. For the hope we have in Christ at Christmas. For the gift that started the original Christmas. Help us to behold this new thing you are doing Jesus. This wondrous thing. We adore you. We worship you for all you have done for us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

I hope this episode has encouraged you amid the hustle and bustle of the season. If it has, leave a comment or shoot me an email and let me know! Also, don’t forget to leave a rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts. This will help others find the show. I’m Cayce Fletcher, and until next time, keep creating a life you love and cultivating your heart for God.

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