Someone has a Name by Emily Owen

‘Wishing you peace and joy this Christmas’ read the card the postman delivered to me. It was a beautiful card, and lovely message from someone. But who was the someone?

There was no signature, so I didn’t know who was wishing me peace and joy. I tried to find out by checking the postmark and scrutinising the handwriting. That didn’t help.

It was nice to know someone wished me peace and joy but, in the end, I resigned myself to not knowing who that was.

It was as I turned away from the card that I noticed a folded piece of paper by my feet.  It had slipped, unnoticed, from the envelope as I opened the card. Picking the paper up, I realised it was not only signed by the sender, it contained some of their news, too. Knowing who had sent me the card made a difference. Knowing their name and knowing a bit about them. It brought extra joy (and peace of mind).

It struck me that, sometimes, perhaps we can fall into treating Christmas a little like an unsigned card.

It’s lovely to go to Carol Services and Nativity Plays, and remember the message they bring, but even in our remembering do we forget who the message of Christmas is from?

God sent his son…

Do we forget that the Someone we are busy remembering has a name?

Jesus.

Immanuel.

Prince of Peace.

Does he slip, unnoticed, from our celebrations?

The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognise him. (John 1)

May our celebrations this year, whatever form they take, wherever they are held, remember to find Jesus.  To recognise him as the One whose name reminds us what Christmas is all about.

Whose name brings extra joy.

Though he (Jesus) was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being.

When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honour and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

(Philippians 2)