Redeeming The Real Christmas Tree

Christmas feels like one of the few textured holidays I experience in the United States. In a culture generally lacking in meaningful tradition and ceremony, the ones we DO have often feel watered down with either superficial gestures that seem to lack much significance, or they get overrun with commercialism and consumerism. Just think about weddings, often there so much emphasis on the extravagance and planning, that the gravity of the occasion is often diluted in the din. 

Christmas is at risk of the same. What are we doing?? Why all the lights and cheer and merriment? Do you ever wonder why we are dragging LIVE trees indoors and stringing them with lights and décor? There are various theories as to where this tradition originated, but often I hear about the pagan roots of this tradition. Some even forego having a Christmas tree all together to avoid any association. I strongly believe we should follow the convictions of our conscious and heed the leading of the Spirit for our own lives. But, I also think we could easily throw out ALL traditions in fear, or just as tragic, simply go through empty motions without any meaning. 

There is nothing inherently mystical about a Christmas tree, but it can be steeped in spiritual meaning. For me, it is a daily reminder as I bend down to water this tree of the COST of my joy in this season. This tree is dying. The tree has already been dealt the death blow, but life is lingering for this season while I water it daily. It’s a reminder that the Word became flesh. The immortal God became perishable. Emmanuel, “God with us”. Think about that for a moment. God WITH us. No other god comes down to where we are to intimately know our experience and our suffering and the fragility of this life. Christmas is the celebration of the birth Jesus Christ. The One who remedied the problem of sin and separation between man and God. He paid the highest price to be with us in our suffering, in our loneliness. He paid the highest price to celebrate with us in the fullness of joy! 

It is also a reminder that this spiritual walk needs DAILY nourishment. If I watered this tree once a week it would soon turn brown and drop needles. The problem is, it wouldn’t happen right away. So I might think I don’t need it daily. In John 15 Jesus says “I am the vine, you are the branches” (v.5) He is offering us more than earthly water, He is offering Himself as our sustenance. A daily watering will slow the progression of death of this evergreen tree in my living room, but it IS dying. I’m just delaying the process. The book of Romans says of us, “who were branches from a wild olive tree, have been grafted in. So now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in the rich nourishment from the root of God’s special olive tree.” (Romans 11:17 NLT) We are no longer just being watered to delay death, but connected to the source of LIFE. 

To be GRAFTED in to the Vine is costly. It’s committed. It’s setting aside all other sources of ‘watering’ for the gift of LIFE. This life is not just for after this earthly death, it is LIFE NOW. Jesus says, “I am the bread of life!” (John 6:48) and that this bread was sent by our Heavenly Father, “for the life of the world.” (John 6:51) For those of us in this world (yes, that is you and I!) true life and satisfaction is offered now! And, it is a gift, underserved favor with God, because of the completed work of Jesus Christ, if we believe and put our trust in Him and not our own “watering”. THIS is the reason to celebrate! That God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the full penalty of our sin, that is death and separation from God. It is the undoing of the fall of man. So that all would be reconciled and brought back into relationship with God—if we choose Him. 

May these trees be a symbol to center us back to WHY we are celebrating Christmas. And be a reminder to the reason we have JOY.