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Wow, the spread this year! Whether you’re catering in from a restaurant (be honest, it’s tempting!) or delegating dishes to different family members, an extravagant feast is in the works. The Christmas table will set a new record, I’m sure.
Good, it’s right for Christians to celebrate like this. We, of all people, should be known for celebration. For feasting. For extravagant parties.
And they say the Old Testament is boring . . .
You can’t get far in the Bible without reading about parties. All throughout the Old Testament, celebration is built into the very life of God’s people. At regular times each year, God called his people together for massive festivals, which included food and music and dancing and singing and lights and worship! Why? Why did God do this? Because celebration is the very heart of worship. When we worship God we are celebrating who he is and what he’s accomplished for us.
Worship – and therefore feasting – is reveling in the wonderful truth that our God delights in saving the lost!
So, to all the Christian families of the world, make feasting a thing. Know what I mean? Like, the world should see Christians as the most celebratory people on the planet. If your family isn’t known for feasting, if it’s not the foremost party entity of the street where everyone’s welcome, always, then you’re not emitting the right aroma. You have permission to live it up. And having an extravagant Christmas is a good first step.
The King’s people
We are the people who know the King, for goodness’ sake! Should that not ooze out of us? Sure, life is tough. And often dark. I understand this at a very personal level. But do we, of all people, not have the most excuse to celebrate? Happy, fun festivity should be our mark! People should sense it in us.
We are, after all, kingdom people. And the kingdom, as the Bible makes clear, is a feast! A feast with music and dancing and laughter and food. This is core of our faith. This is what undeserved rescue produces within us. This is reality. Human history’s climax is a feast at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb in the new heavens and the new earth!
This year’s Christmas
Therefore, go the extra mile today. Yes, invite that friend. Sure, that means bringing in the cob-webbed, non-matching, folding table occupying the forsaken corner of the garage. Duh, make seven extra desserts.
Extravagant Christmases should, first and foremost, be Christian territory.
Copyright © 2019 by Justin Talbert @ https://getgroundedministries.com. Used with permission. No part of this article may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from Lifeword.org.