christmas

When Christmas Isn’t Normal

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What does a “normal” Christmas look like to you? Maybe it’s full of festive parties, family get-togethers, movie marathons, shopping trips with friends, visits to dazzling light shows, or watching school and church plays. For many, Christmas is a season of joy and celebration.

But not everyone feels like having a “holly jolly Christmas.” Perhaps this season brings up difficult memories from your childhood. Maybe the stress and busyness of life have robbed you of any holiday cheer. Or perhaps this year, there will be an empty seat at your gatherings—a stark reminder of a loss that feels too heavy to bear.

If Christmas doesn’t feel “normal” this year, know this: You’re not alone. In fact, you’re in good company. The very first Christmas wasn’t normal by any stretch of the imagination.

 

If Christmas doesn’t feel "normal" this year, know this: You’re not alone.

Anything But Normal

Travel back with me to the Middle East over 2000 years ago. Israel, once a mighty kingdom under David and Solomon, was now just another territory controlled by the oppressive Roman Empire. The so-called “king of the Jews” was a paranoid and ruthless tyrant named Herod. It was far from a time of peace and prosperity.

In a small town called Nazareth, an angel appeared to a young woman named Mary. Mary was terrified, and understandably so. But the angel reassured her:

  • Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” (Luke 1:30-33)

Mary’s life was instantly turned upside down. There was no biological way she could be pregnant, yet here was an angel telling her otherwise. The announcement was anything but normal.

As the months went on and her belly grew, Mary faced the stares, questions, and shame — because everyone knew she and Joseph weren’t yet married. Then, late in her pregnancy, a decree from the Roman governor required them to travel 90 miles to Bethlehem for a census. So they packed up and hit the road — without climate-controlled vehicles, Dr. Scholls inserts, or any modern conveniences. By the time they arrived, there was no room for them at the inn.

Mary gave birth to Jesus in a stable. Imagine the cold ground, the smell of animals, and the discomfort of labor without a clean hospital room or the support of family. Andrew Peterson’s song Labor of Love captures it beautifully:

  • It was not a silent night; there was blood on the ground.
    You could hear a woman cry in the alleyways that night on the streets of David’s town.
    And the stable was not clean, and the cobblestones were cold.
    But for the girl on the ground in the dark, it was a labor of love.

When Jesus was born, his parents laid him not in a cozy crib, but in a feeding trough. His first visitors weren’t family or friends, but a group of unknown, smelly shepherds. Later, foreign dignitaries brought extravagant gifts, but their arrival triggered King Herod’s wrath. The most powerful man in the region wanted this child dead. Mary and Joseph fled to Egypt, living as refugees until it was safe to return.

There was nothing normal about the first Christmas. It was filled with discomfort, threats, and instability. Yet in the midst of the chaos, something extraordinary happened: God came near.

Finding Hope in the Strangeness

The child born into this “anything but normal” story wasn’t an ordinary baby. Jesus was God in the flesh, the long-awaited Messiah, who was sent to wade into the messiness of our world and, when he was grown, to redeem us from it. How? Through his death. That baby was born to die. The one gently lain in a manger would be brutally hung on a cross. The one worshiped by pagan wise men would one day be condemned by his kinsmen. The one prophesied by the prophets would one day be killed between two thieves. This wasn’t normal.

Jesus would die, but he wouldn’t stay dead. Three days later, he would rise again, ascend to heaven, and offer forgiveness and hope to all who trust in him. This isn’t normal, but it sure is beautiful.

See, Christmas is not ultimately about perfect decorations, ideal family gatherings, or holiday cheer. It’s about a Savior who entered into our brokenness to bring us life.

So, if your Christmas feels anything but normal this year, that’s okay. It certainly didn’t feel normal for Joseph and Mary! Let the strangeness of the first Christmas remind you that God works in unexpected ways. Let it point you beyond the noise and clutter of the season to the beauty of Christ.

No, Jesus isn’t normal. He is infinitely greater. And he is worthy of our worship.

 

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MA Ethics, Theology, and Culture

The Master of Arts Ethics, Theology, and Culture is a Seminary program providing specialized academic training that prepares men and women to impact the culture for Christ through prophetic moral witness, training in cultural engagement, and service in a variety of settings.

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Nathaniel D. Williams

Editor and Content Manager

Nathaniel D. Williams (M.Div, Southeastern Seminary) oversees the website, podcast and social media for the L. Russ Bush Center for Faith and Culture, and he serves as the pastor of Cedar Rock First Baptist Church. His work has appeared at Christianity Today, The Gospel Coalition, Fathom Mag, the ERLC and BRNow.org. He and his family live in rural North Carolina.

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