What Is Christmas All About? Pastors Around Town Share Insights

While Christmas is celebrated today by Christians and non-Christians alike in many diverse ways, its origin story is found in the birth of Jesus. With the holiday approaching, the Severna Park Voice staff reached out to several local church leaders for their words of wisdom regarding a common question:

What are the meaning and significance of Christmas?

“John 3:16 says, ‘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.’ Christmas is a reminder that despite the many ways we have turned away from God, God still chases after us. God loved us so much that God sent his son to be the embodiment of hope, peace, joy and love. And God’s love is never-ending, never changing, and always available to us.”
Reverend Tori Butler
Asbury Town Neck United Methodist Church 

“Two thousand years ago, God revealed himself to humanity in the person of Jesus Christ. That God would humble himself and become human and then pay for our sins on the cross is an awe-inspiring act. He changed the world then, and he continues to change lives today. ‘Whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life’ (John 3:16). Jesus invites us, ‘Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest’ (Matthew 11:28).
Pastor Dan Allen
College Parkway Baptist Church

“Christmas is about the greatest gift we could ever receive – the incarnation of the son of God. When Jesus took on flesh, he did so to live the life we could never live and die the death we all deserved to die. Thus, during Christmas, we celebrate the birth of our savior, who overcame our greatest sins and gives us eternal life by faith. Christmas is about the gift of Jesus. And that is worth celebrating.”
Pastor Alex Bouffard
Saints Baptist Church 

“When our daughter Christine was 4, she landed the role of Mary in the church’s preschool Christmas pageant. She took her part so seriously that whenever she’d see a nativity scene in someone’s front lawn that December, she’d proudly exclaim, ‘There I am!’ One of the meanings of Christmas is that we get to see ourselves as part of God’s story of love and redemption for the whole world, not as bystanders, but participants. Good tidings of great joy, indeed!”
Reverend Ron Foster
Severna Park United Methodist Church

“At Christmas, we celebrate the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem and the awesome mystery of the son of God becoming man. Christmas is all about God’s amazing, pursuing love. Knowing we could never reach him on our own because of sin, he came to us! Jesus’ humble birth means that our messy life is never too messy for God. Whatever the mess, whatever our sin may be, his love is able to heal and bring peace and order to our messy lives.”
Father Erik Arnold
St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church

“One of the most sacred things God ever did was become human. That means your humanity — every part of it — is sacred. Not just the praying, worshipful or cleaned-up parts, but the messy parts too. God meets us in the mess in Jesus. When we dare to see the parts of ourselves we’d rather ignore and invite Jesus into that space where Jesus lovingly goes, we begin to glimpse the mystery of love incarnate. Emmanuel — God with us. Merry Christmas!”
Reverend Lauren Holder
St. Martin’s-in-the-Field Episcopal Church

“There is a reason that Christmas brings wonder and cheer to a weary world. Jesus is the reason for the season. The child born in Bethlehem brings hope amid hopelessness. He brings joy that is unspeakable. He is the prince of peace. He gave his life so that we could truly live. Christmas is about a God who loves you so much that he gave the ultimate gift, his son. Have you opened your heart to the child born in Bethlehem?”
Pastor Stephen Mitchell
Trinity Bible Church

“One of the most important but overlooked themes of Christmas is vulnerability. In the birth of Jesus, God does not come to us as a great prince born in a palace. God comes as the child of an unmarried couple, surrounded by farm animals and hailed by shepherds. And that means there is no person or place that is beneath or beyond God’s presence, purpose and love. At Christmas, we celebrate Jesus’ birth as ‘God with us,’ which is good news for us all!”
Reverend J.C. Austin
Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church