Rock’n Around the Christmas Tree

Grace, mercy and peace be to you from our God and Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.

We are continuing this mid-week Advent sermon series, were we are using secular Christmas songs that our culture and world hear so often throughout the Christmas season and we are using these as a SpringBoard to reflect on the hope and peace that Jesus brings us in the Advent season. Because of His work for us - we are able and compelled to lift our voices and sing praising His name with angels and other believers. Our God has done great things for us!

A familiar song that many of us have heard, is a song from 1958 called Rock’n Around the Christmas Tree. This familiar bop describes all the holiday themed activities that many people find themselves participating in in the Christmas season. It talks about “Decking the Halls with Boughs of Holly”, “Lifting out voices merrily”, “Everyone Dancing - letting the Christmas spirit ring”. This song is all about now that Christmas season is here - let us put up the Christmas tree - let’s celebrate. And in fact let’s dance around the Christmas tree because the season of spirit and joy is here for us now! But with the Christmas season not only is there Christmas trees but often we decorations and ornaments to put on the tree. Many times we choose ornaments that our special to us or invoke some kind of memory for us. Sometimes they include pictures of family, sometimes they include our favorite sports teams, or maybe they include our favorite character of the holiday season (frosty the snowman or Rudolf the red-nosed reindeer). This Christmas tree is filled with many different things and we put many different things on the tree that focus in on this joy and peace we feel in the Christmas season. The Christmas tree becomes a focal point, a centerpiece in our celebration of the Christmas season.

And as we spend time putting up our individual Christmas trees, the often become the center our lives the next couple of weeks. They are put in the most important rooms of our homes, the Christmas tree becomes the center of our living rooms. We put presents under the tree to give to other people. We put things under the tree that we are hoping for and waiting to receive from others. We place things under the tree that we are desiring and absolutely waiting for. Like the song states - this tree becomes the center and focus of our hope and we tend to center our lives around it in this special season of Christmas.

Our text for today draws our attention to another tree in this Advent season building up to Christmas. In our reading from 1 Peter 2, first Peter writes,

1 Peter 2:22–25 ESV

He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Jesus Christ willingly took our burdens, willingly went to the cross not because He deserved it, not because He had to, not because He thought it would be fun, but He went to the cross because of His great love for you! And this tree talked about in 1st Peter isn’t going to be decorated with pretty ornaments, or nice boughs of holly or the silvery garland that we wrap around. It isn’t going to be decorated with things that we are proud of, are beautiful memories that we have with our families, unlike the Christmas trees in our homes, this tree isn’t going to have things hung on it that we want other people to see. No instead this tree is decorated or has placed upon it - the sins of the whole world, the sins that you struggle with, the sins that you can’t overcome by yourself, and in your place on that tree in 1st Peter it has Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior hanging there for you. And through the work of Jesus - you have been healed, you have been set free, you are given new life!

How often in our lives do we find ourselves looking to the Christmas trees in our homes filled with joy and celebration and ignoring the cross, the tree that Jesus bore for you? How many times in this commercialized holiday season do we find ourselves busy with all the different holiday traditions and the decorations that need to be hung, that we forget about the reason that Jesus needed to come in the first place? Are there moments when focus so much on the different ornaments hung our Christmas trees - we forget about the tree of Calvary which brings you and me life?

Now, I’m saying that we need to toss out our Christmas trees this holiday season, I’m not saying that we need to get rid of all the different decorations and holiday traditions that bring us joy and happiness this Christmas season. We can still enjoy those and prepare and get ready for Christmas. However, in the Spirit of all of our celebrations may we not completely push the tree of Calvary and the our Savior Jesus to the side. May we continue to find ways to center our lives and center our celebrations around this tree mentioned in 1st Peter. Perhaps this means spending time at a new tradition of devotions each day of Advent reflecting on the love of Jesus for you! Maybe centering your life around the tree of Calvary means spending a moment each day bowing down at the Savior’s feet reflecting on our sin and brokenness and the forgiveness won for you. Maybe centering your life around the tree of Calvary means taking time to express forgiveness to others because He has forgiven you! May the Tree of Calvary continue to be the center of everything we do in our celebrations, because at this tree you aren’t going to find the most trendy toy this holiday season, you aren’t going to find nicely decorated ornaments that make your tree sparkle, you aren’t your beloved holiday traditions, but instead you will find something much better - you find life and forgiveness, you find hope that is lasting, and you on the tree you will find a Savior and God who loves you so very much!