Welcome to the Christmas season—the time of year when we celebrate our Savior’s birth! I love Christmas. I love the sounds, the glitz, the joy, the food. But sometimes, finding Jesus amidst all of the hoopla surrounding a holiday that is supposed to be about him is a little like the Where’s Waldo? books:
Where’s Jesus?
Have no fear, he’s everywhere. You just have to look. Here are nine places to find Jesus this Christmas season. Some of them may surprise you.
Hi, I’m Lauren Thell, author of Christian YA fiction and blogger for teens who are ready to exceed the world’s expectations.
In This Article
1) Red: Bathed in His Love
“God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith.”
Ephesians 3:25
Red is ubiquitous during Christmas, and what a pretty, happy color it is. Except in the form of blood.
Have you ever slaughtered an animal? Slaughtering animals is messy business, but back in the days of early history, it was part of the required process for presenting an atonement offering to God—a requirement that would still be in place for us, if not for Jesus.
Jesus became our offering, atoning for our sins once and for all so we do not have to continue this ritual. (Can I get a massive sigh of relief here?) So when you see red plastered all over the stores and wrapping paper and gift boxes this season, remember how you have been bathed in and sanctified through Jesus’ blood.
Is it a coincidence that red is also used for Valentine’s Day?
2) The Wreath: The Victory That Never Ends
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”
Revelation 22:13
Before wreaths became a classic part of Christmas decor, they were used as an emblem of victory in ancient Greece and Rome. Wreaths of olive branches crowned the winning athletes at the early Olympic games.
That’s rather fitting for Christmas as well when you think about it. Jesus came in the flesh, died in our place, and rose victorious. He snagged the ultimate victory for us. And when he comes again, we will stand in triumph.
The holiday wreath is one of the ultimate Christmas symbols that point to Christ. If you believe in Christ as your savior, you don’t need to run an Olympic race to wear the victor’s wreath!
3) The Gingerbread Man: Forming a Guy in Your Hands
“Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.”
Genesis 2:7
If you read the account of creation in Genesis 1 and 2, you will notice that for almost everything, God said, “Let there be…” and it was. Whether or not that meant stars suddenly appeared in the sky, trees simply popped out of the ground, and whales just plopped into the water, I don’t know because I wasn’t there. But I do know this:
When God created man, he actively shaped him with his own hands.
Don’t you love that image?
Unlike when you or I make cookies using cookie cutters, however, God shaped and formed each of us individually. (And he didn’t bake us and eat us.) He created you, then he sent his son to die for you.
Remember that when you struggle with finding Jesus in the Christmas frenzy.
4) Christmas Carols: Sound From the Heart
“Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Ephesians 5:19-20
Thanksgiving is over, but gratitude should continue throughout the year. Music expresses that which words alone cannot.
When you hear the music pouring from the speakers as you shop for Christmas presents, think of the angel choir that proclaimed Christ’s birth to the shepherds. Chapter two of Luke says the shepherds were terrified, and I don’t think it was because the choir sounded awful.
Music is an outpouring of the heart.
A heart filled with joy and gratitude over the birth of Christ just can’t help but sing along, so go ahead. It’s okay. I whistle all the time in Walmart.
5) Tinsel: Bouncing Light All Over
“But all of us who reflect the Lord’s glory with an unveiled face are being transformed into his own image, from one degree of glory to another.”
2 Corinthians 3:18, EHV
If you’ve never decorated a tree with tinsel, you should do it at least once—and maybe only once.
One package of tinsel contains 2,000 individual 18-inch strands of silvery metallic mylar that you can drape over the branches of your tree to make it shimmer from top to bottom. It’s beautiful and catches the twinkle of the lights, drawing you in for a closer look.
But when you get within three feet, it jumps off the tree and sticks to your pajamas, then travels all over the house with you and never leaves, especially if you’re wearing flannel.
That’s no joke—static and tinsel do not mix.
We are God’s tinsel in that we reflect his glory around the world. Everything we do and say should reflect him, drawing others in for a closer look, and making them curious about what Jesus has done for us. Then his Word travels with them and spreads everywhere they go.
(Hint: buying tinsel in garland form makes it less likely to attack when you walk by.)
6) Ribbons On Gifts: Tied Together in Unity
“Live in harmony with one another.”
Romans 12:16
A Christmas gift can be wrapped in beautiful, shiny paper but if it isn’t embellished with a bow or ribbon, it looks naked. A bow on a gift is like a cherry on an ice cream sundae. In modern times, you can purchase ready-made bows to stick on top of the gift and be done. But it used to be that if you wanted a ribbon on a gift, you had to tie it around it.
A ribbon tied around a gift symbolizes how all people should be tied together in unity and goodwill during the holiday season. But the very fact that we call it the holiday season and not the Advent or Christmas season shows we are not in complete unity. Many view Christmas merely as another chance to gather with family, and would rather not be reminded of its true meaning. And many more don’t celebrate Christmas at all and get annoyed at those of us who do.
There will not be peace on earth as long as Satan is on the loose.
Unity, however, can still be achieved among believers because we all have a common focus: Jesus. Let the ribbons on our gifts remind us that we need fellowship with other believers to keep our faith strong until the end. Wrap your gifts, stick them under the tree, then head over to church to join your voices in worship!
Related: How to Observe Advent Like a Christian
7) Mistletoe: Clinging for Dear Life
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
John 15:5
Think finding Jesus this Christmas is impossible while you’re smooching your sweetie under a sprig of this stuff? Here’s an interesting fact about mistletoe:
Mistletoe by its nature is a parasite. That means it relies on a host to keep it alive.
You will not find mistletoe growing in a bush on the ground. Mistletoe grows as a bush in a tree, extracting water and nutrients directly from the host plant. Without the host, it would not survive.
We are very much like mistletoe. We need God to survive. Even people who deny he exists are only still living and moving about because he allows it. The minute we are plucked away from God, our souls will shrivel and die. Jesus is a willing host—the vine—offering everything we need to survive and thrive. Stay with him!
(Fun Fact: Historians still speculate how it came about that people feel the need to kiss under mistletoe. But I think I’ve come to appreciate mistletoe a little more now that I know we have something in common.)
7) Santa Claus: A Picture of Grace?
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God…”
Ephesians 2:8
Of all the Christmas symbols that point to Christ, this one might be the most surprising to most people. Santa can help us find Jesus this Christmas?! I used to think Santa Claus was the antithesis of Jesus. After all, while we were still sinners Jesus died for us, but Santa is always “making a list, checking it twice, gonna find out who’s naughty or nice.”
Nothing appears to promote righteousness through works more than the Santa figure.
Then my husband, an elementary school teacher who sees all manner of bad behavior every day, pointed something out to me:
“Santa is the perfect example of grace. You should see all the naughty kids in my classroom who still got Christmas gifts this year!”
I guess Santa talks a hard talk, but he’s a softie and the naughty kids still get gifts. And Jesus died for all of us naughty sinners, even though we don’t deserve it.
Santa can stay on the list.
Related: The Difference Between God and Santa? Amazing Grace
9) The Christmas Tree: Evergreen, Everlasting Love, Everlasting Life
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
John 3:16
Evergreen trees stay green all year, and well after they’ve been cut. I used to live on a Christmas tree farm and was always amazed at how early in the season (think October) they could cut trees to ship down south where evergreens are scarce. And they’re still green by the time you gather around them on Christmas morning for gift opening!
But your tree (if you have a real one) will eventually die. Not so with God’s love. It lasts forever, and you can have everlasting life because of it.
Spot Jesus every time you look at your Christmas tree!
Seek and ye shall find Jesus this Christmas! Do you know of any other Christmas symbols that point to Christ? I bet there are lots more places if only you would look.
Finding Jesus This Christmas: Take it Further
You don’t have to have all the answers.
but, hey, why not?
Bring me your questions about faith, life, God, the Bible… and I’ll help you find the answers.
- Read this energizing devotion about Christmas by Dare 2 Share Ministries: What Christmas is All About.
- Seeking Jesus: How to Get Closer to God Right Now
- How to Be More Aware of Jesus’ Presence
For a little fun: The 12 Days of Christmas According to the True Love (my own spoof on the famously overlong Christmas carol).