Writing about Christmas is challenging because, throughout the centuries, so much has already been written about it. Yet my prayer is that each of us would not simply observe Christmas, but that we would truly experience the Holiness of Christmas.
May we discover it.
Contemplate it deeply.
May we be changed by it.
God and His Son, Jesus Christ, are holy. They are divine, set apart, and utterly unique—unlike anything that has ever happened or ever will happen. Christmas is the moment when that holiness entered our world.
Isaiah’s Commission
Isaiah 6:1–7 (KJV)
1 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.
2 Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.
3 And one cried unto another, and said,
Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
4 And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.
5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.
6 Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:
7 And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.
Isaiah’s response to the holiness of God was awe, fear, humility, and worship. In the presence of perfect holiness, Isaiah became fully aware of his own sinfulness—yet God did not destroy him. Instead, God cleansed him.
Holiness exposes our need, but God’s grace meets us there.
Experiencing the Holiness of God and His Son
When we truly experience the holiness of God and His Son, Jesus Christ, we cannot remain unchanged. We are drawn into worship and we are humbled. We stand in awe.
At Christmas, God sent the greatest gift imaginable—His Son—so that we could experience His presence, His holiness, and His love. Through Jesus, the holy God draws near to us.
Christmas allows us to glimpse, even if only faintly, what Isaiah experienced:
God enthroned in glory—magnificent, beautiful, and HOLY.
David’s Song of Worship
1 O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth.
2 Sing unto the LORD, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day.
3 Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people.
4 For the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods.
5 For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens.
6 Honour and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
7 Give unto the LORD, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the LORD glory and strength.
8 Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts.
9 O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.
10 Say among the heathen that the LORD reigneth: the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved: he shall judge the people righteously.
11 Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof.
12 Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice
13 Before the LORD: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.
Psalm 96 is a beautiful picture of how our hearts should respond at Christmas. All of creation rejoices because the Lord reigns. His holiness is not hidden—it fills the earth with glory.
A Christmas Prayer
Experiencing the holiness of God and His gift of Jesus at Christmas reignites the joy of the season for me. When I allow God’s holiness to fill my heart, everything else fades into the background.
My prayer is that each of us would experience that same joy and peace—that we would allow the holiness of God to consume us, push out the distractions, and draw us closer to the Lord this Christmas season.
May you not only celebrate Christmas,
but truly experience the Holiness of Christmas.