A White Christmas

Our flesh so quickly associates a snow cover with the celebration of Christmas, and then it gives the pre-eminence to the incidental and loses the essential. The white snow on the ground becomes in our thinking essential as a part of Christmas. Its absence detracts from the significance of the holiday for us, even though it has absolutely nothing to do with the true meaning of Christmas. 

Even then in these areas where snow is so common in December, the holiday is by no means a white Christmas in many respects. In fact it is a most colorful, if not indeed the most colorful of all the holidays. Christmas trees are strung with colored lights here and also in the South. Buildings have their outlines set off with colored lights that shine brilliantly in the cold air, and blink on and off in patterns of color and design. The use of red and green is everywhere to be seen for decorative purposes. It is called the season to be gay. Colorful greetings cards are mailed in staggering numbers and volume. Tinsel and the holly and the ivy are used in abundance to give a little more color to the holiday.

One almost feels ashamed to speak of that drab picture there on the Judean hillside with colorless sheep and even less colorful shepherds, to say nothing of that drab, dull, foul, ill-smelling, wholly undecorated grotto where among donkeys and camels the Christ-child made his appearance in our world. There were no beautiful, colorful wrappings and ribbons containing a gift for him. All was commonplace and dull. All lacked the luster that we now try to bring into the picture, not in his fear but in the satisfaction of the flesh.

God's color was there. There was the bright light of the angel of the Lord, and a few moments later that of a host of these pure, white creatures from heaven. There was the colorful message, that at the same time shown with white brilliancy, "Fear not: for, behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." In the darkness of our night of sin the light shone so brightly in those words. For us, who are so black with sin, this was a truth of brilliant whiteness which gives such wonderful significance to Christmas unto us. And the shepherds, who were white with fright, were suddenly engulfed with another heavenly message of glory to God in the highest, and they saw a white flag of peace on earth to the men of God's good pleasure waved before their eyes.

The message was one of peace. The white flag which the angels waved before these shepherds, and through them before our eyes, was not a flag of surrender. It was the white flag of victory. Do we not read in Revelation 6 of the white horse, and that he that sat on it went forth conquering and to conquer? White stands there for victory. And do we not again read in Revelation 19 that he who sat on this white horse is called "Faithful and true, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war?" A verse later we read that his name is "The Word of God." In that light also we must read Revelation 2:17, where we are told that "to him that overcometh" this babe of Bethlehem, who now is the Lord of Lords and King of kings, will give "to eat of the hidden manna" and "a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it." This does not mean that we receive a name of those who surrender. It means that we receive the name of victor, through him who rides this white horse that symbolizes victory, and that we shall sit and reign with him because he goes forth conquering and to conquer. 

May God grant you a white Christmas of victory in Christ. And may he take from you the scarlet color of your sins.

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This excerpt was taken from a meditation written by Rev. John Heys printed in the December 15, 1970 issue of the Standard Bearer. Read the full article.