We all have memories of Christmas from our childhood. Some are good and some bad, but they are memories nonetheless. The real question is, did your parents focus on Christ, or was the focus on something else during the Christmas season? My wife and I do a birthday cake as a reminder of what Christmas is about – celebrating the birth of Jesus. One day, a distant relative from my in-law’s side was at our house for Christmas and saw us pull out the cake. She came up and asked, “Oh, whose birthday is it?” 

Two things to notice in this situation. One is we don’t actually know when Jesus was born, as it was probably more in August, but this is the day we celebrate it. The second thing is, many people are born on December 25th. So it was a legit question. We didn’t demean her, we simply said, we’re celebrating the birth of Jesus today. She looked at me like I had a third eye in the middle of my forehead. I guess she had never put the focus on Jesus at Christmas and I was this religious fanatic that was about to serve the cake. Just for the record… she took a slice of cake. 

Everyone’s Christmas is unique in how they celebrate it. We at Uncommen would simply like to challenge men to give Jesus center stage. Here are some things we can do to focus our families on the meaning of Christmas. 

1. Talk about the birth of Jesus during December and what it means to you 

1. Watch a Christmas movie that focuses on Jesus – (It’s a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Carol) as Christian themes 

1. Make a Christmas birthday cake and freak out one of your relatives 

1. Pray for Christmas dinner and thank God for sending His Son 

1. Read the Christmas story (we’ve included the store below for you)  

If you have some unique Christmas practice that you and your family do to keep Christ the focus at Christmas, leave it in the messages below. 

Merry Christmas from Uncommen 

The Birth of Jesus Christ 

In those days, a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger because there was no place for them in the inn. 

The Shepherds and the Angels 

And in the same region, there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. The angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” 

When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” They went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. When they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.