Word-association games make for interesting discussions. We heard of a psychology professor at one of our nation’s colleges giving a word-association test. He asked students to write the word “Christmas” and then jot down the very next word that popped into their minds. Responses showed: snow, Santa Claus, presents, holly, carols, etc. Not one student included “the birthday of Jesus Christ.”

Christians associate many customs and traditions with our personal and family celebrations of December 25. But at the heart and core of it all is this awesome mystery: God became man for our salvation! The Creator of the universe takes on our flesh and blood, becomes one of His own creatures in order to substitute Himself for every sinner! He fulfills all the righteousness we need to obtain eternal life! He becomes a baby in the manger but has the cross and the empty tomb as His ultimate purpose for His thirty-three years on this earth! The apostle Paul refers to this deep historical truth of Christmas as the “mystery which for ages past was hidden in God” (Ephesians 3:9) but now has been “revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all nations might believe and obey him” (Romans 16:26).

Word-association. That may well be a good way to think about Christmas. Jesus is “the Word made flesh” (John 1:14), who by his birth at Bethlehem has come in order to bring us sinners into the proper association with our God. Our relationship with God was destroyed by sin. We were alienated from God because of our being born in sin and therefore being in constant rebellion against the holy law of God. Through faith in the holy Christ-Child we have a restored relationship. On account of Christ’s holy life and His atoning sacrifice for sin we have been granted sonship with our God. “But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons” (Galatians 4:4, 5).

This is the true Word-association we want with Christmas. We want all to be truly associated by faith with the Word of God Incarnate. This Word-association is not a game. It is a matter of life or death.

Will our Christmas celebrations this year stress the proper Word-association for all who gather with us in our homes? We want all people—not just the relatives and friends–to see Jesus as the reason for the season.

Have a blessed commemoration of our Lord’s nativity!