"REASON FOR THE SEASON" AND OTHER CHRISTMAS CLICHÉS

First a joke:

What do you call Santa's little helpers?

A: "Subordinate Clauses." :-)

"Jesus is the Reason for the Season." I've heard this so many times, that by now the identity of this "Stranger in the Manger" should be as clear as icicles on Christmas eaves!

Commercialism and Christmas seem to be inextricably intertwined in the festive dance of oblivion to who and what this holiday is supposed to celebrate. This is the reason for the season of Christmas Clichés. Among other tools, we battle secularism with those pithy statements designed to put people in touch with the heart of Christmas: Jesus.

We don't know exactly when Jesus was born, and it doesn't matter. The point is that some people decided long ago to take one day, one season actually, to rejoice in the historical fact that, "...when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law (Galatians 4:4)..." That's much better news than believing, "Santa Clause is coming to town!"

In my own attempt to "Put Christ Back in Christmas," I've gathered some of the biblical reasons Jesus came to this world. These are much more than cliché. They give real cause for celebrating Christmas. Maybe we can move a bit closer to what it felt like that special night when the angels glorified God over the sleepy town of Bethlehem.

• Jesus came to this world to fulfill the law and the prophets (Matthew 5:17).

• Jesus came to this world to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45).

• Jesus came to this world to redeem his people (Luke 1:68).

• Jesus came to this world to seek and save what was lost (Luke 19:10).

• Jesus came to this world that we might become children of God (John 1:11-13).

• Jesus came to this world not to condemn the world, but to save it (John 3:17).

• Jesus came to this world to do the will of his Father, to save all who believe in him (John 6:38-40).

• Jesus came to this world to give abundant life - life to the full (John 10:10).

• Jesus came to this world to testify to the truth (John 18:37).

• Jesus came to this world to preach peace (Ephesians 2:17).

• Jesus came to this world to save sinners (1Timothy 1:15).

• Jesus came to this world to demonstrate the kindness and love of God (Titus 3:4)

• Jesus came to this world to do away with sin (Hebrews 9:26).

• Jesus came to this world that he might take away our sins (1John 3:5).

• Jesus came to this world to destroy the works of the devil (1John 3:8).

• Jesus came to this world that we might live through him (1John 4:9).

• Jesus came to this world to atone for sin, and thus turn aside God’s wrath (1John 4:10).