The Color of Christmas
Author: Pastor Mitch Williams
December 05, 2024
What is the most prominent color that comes to mind at Christmas time? Isn’t it red? Red for the candy canes, red stockings over the fireplace, red decorations upon the tree, and poinsettias with bright red leaves. Red gift wrapping paper, red ribbons, cranberries, and red sweaters. I could go on because red is the color of Christmas.
At Christmas, we decorate our tree with red lights and ornaments. But the real "tree" in the original Christmas story wasn’t beautiful at all. It was a cruel instrument of execution. The Bible says, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree" (Galatians 3:13). Jesus hung on that tree for you and me. He was born to die so that we might live.
The Bible says, "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be like wool" (Isaiah 1:18).
Red is the color of Christmas, not because Santa wore red or because we wrap our presents with red paper and red bows. Red is the color of Christmas because it is the color of the blood that flowed from the wounds of Jesus Christ as He died for the sins of the world.
C.S. Lewis put it this way: “The Son of God became a man so that men might become sons of God.”
So then, let every glimpse of red this Christmas remind you not only of Jesus' birth, but of His death! Because His death is the greatest gift we could ever receive. Thank you, Jesus, for making Christmas worth celebrating!
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