A Christ-Centered Christmas: 6 Ways You Can Keep The Season Centered On Jesus

Bringing Christ Back to the Center This Christmas

Christmas seems to creep up faster and faster each year. It feels like we barely finish the summer holidays and settle into the new school year before Christmas decorations and sweets start appearing in the supermarkets. This year, the average German plans to spend around 263€ on Christmas gifts (the average Australian around AUD$707). With the growing commercial Christmas industry and the busyness of the season, many of us find ourselves wondering why we are celebrating at all. Wouldn’t it sometimes be easier to boycott the whole holiday?

And yet—deep down—we know there’s something more.

Last year, I hit a wall during Christmas. I began the season wanting to build a Hallmark-style holiday with my kids: baking cookies, decorating the tree, going Christmas shopping, and enjoying all the festive events together.

But reality hit hard.

The kids were overexcited. I was tired and stressed. Nothing went the way I envisioned. I became frustrated, overwhelmed, and honestly, I wanted to cancel Christmas and stay home.

Somewhere along the way, I had forgotten why I was celebrating Christmas at all.

And I know I’m not alone. Many of us get so caught up in the world’s version of Christmas that we lose Christ as the center of it. We long for the magical Hollywood moments, but that was never what Christmas was meant to be.

Christmas is about celebrating the birth of Christ — Emmanuel, God with us.

So how do we move from a commercial Christmas to a Christ-centered one?

Let’s walk through it together.

Before we dive into the challenges, I want to share a short video that beautifully captures this shift from a commercial Christmas to a Christ-centered one. I pray it encourages you as much as it encouraged me.

this video might help you with some ideas of how you can recenter your Christmas on Christ from Theologian and Pastor John Piper

The History

The idea of celebrating Christ’s birth (though not mentioned in the Bible) has existed since the second century AD. The date of December 25th was established by Emperor Constantine in the fourth century, and since then it has become the most widely celebrated holiday in the world.

Each year, the Christmas season seems to begin earlier—often as early as September. Trillions of dollars will be spent, millions of cards will be sent, trees will be decorated, and lights will glow in homes and cities across the globe.

Many of us look forward to Christmas for different reasons, both religious and cultural. When I’m in Australia, I look forward to the Christmas lights and Carols in the Park. In Germany, I love decorating the tree and making a gingerbread house. There is so much to enjoy about Christmas but there are also parts that distract us from its true meaning.

The Problem

Although Christmas began as a Christian celebration, its meaning often gets lost in the commercial and cultural noise. It’s difficult to make money from a baby born 2,000 years ago! So instead, the world focuses on what can be sold: gifts and decorations. This is what makes Christmas a trillion-dollar industry (in the US)

Putting aside the commercial aspects that corrupt Christmas, some argue that Christmas has connections to older pagan festivals (like Saturnalia or other midwinter traditions) and that certain customs—like the Christmas tree—were adopted and Christianised. This causes some Christians to boycott Christmas entirely.

Whether you struggle with the commercialism or the potential pagan origins, Christmas tends to lose its shine as we grow older. The reality is this: the spending, the waste, the travel, and even strained family relationships can easily distract us from the heart of Christmas—the birth of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

The solution

While we can critique how the world celebrates Christmas, we have control over how we celebrate this special holiday. We can choose which traditions to embrace, which to set aside, how much we spend, and how we respond to the commercial pressures around us.

We often complain about the stress and cost of Christmas, but we must remember that we have the ability to shape the holiday in ways that reflect our values. We can choose whether Christ—or the Christmas tree—becomes the center of our celebration.

The Challenge

This year, I want to offer you several challenges to help bring Christ back to the center of your Christmas. Take some time to read through them and pray about which ones God may be calling you to pursue. Do one, several, or all—each one has the potential to help you recentre your heart this season.

1. Worship

   Our hearts can so easily become distracted. Many of us wake up and spend the first 30 minutes scrolling our phones. Then we rush into our to-do lists: getting the kids ready for school, finishing Christmas preparations, or preparing the house for guests. In all the busyness, we often forget to take time for worship.

   Worship is a lifestyle, but we set the tone in the very first moments of our day.

   Challenge: Make worship the first thing you do when you wake up. Put on worship music or simply sing to the Lord, thanking and praising Him for sending His Son.

2. Word

   Most of us know the Christmas story, but sometimes that familiarity become an issue in itsself. We have read the story so many times that we tend to skim read it, not really taking it in.

   Challenge: read the story of Christmas each day (in parts) and spend time meditating on and studying the Word. Ask God to reveal to you new truths that you have not seen before and let this drive you into deeper worship of him this christmas season

3. Connect

   Jesus came into the world to redeem mankind from sin. In Matthew 28:19, we’re commanded to make disciples of all nations. Christmas provides a unique opportunity to reach out and invite friends, neighbours, or colleagues to church services and events. People who might not attend church at other times of the year are often more open during the Christmas season.

   You may be the person God uses to gently lead someone to the foot of the Cross this Christmas.

   Challenge: Invite a friend, family member, neighbour, or colleague to a Christmas service.

4. Give

   Christmas is a season of giving—but usually to the people we already know. Yet many people will struggle this season, whether because of loneliness, grief, financial hardship, or physical challenges. A small gesture from you may make a world of difference.

   In Matthew 6:1–4, Jesus teaches that when we give, we should give in secret. Those we bless should be treated with respect and dignity; struggling families do not want to feel pitied.

   Give quietly. If God leads you to help someone personally, consider dropping off a gift card or making a discreet donation. Avoid posting your giving on social media. Our giving should not be about us, but about Christlike love toward others.

   Challenge: Give to someone in need so they may experience the joy of Christ this Christmas.

5. Centerpiece Shift

   Some people object to the Christmas tree because it often becomes the focus of the season. Whether or not you have a tree isn’t the main issue—the problem is when the tree draws more attention than Jesus.

   Challenge: This year, consider setting up a manger or nativity scene in front of your tree (if you choose to have one). Place it on a small table or box and lay the gifts at the feet of Jesus, just as the wise men did.

   Challenge: Make the manger or nativity the focal point of your Christmas décor.Respect

   Regardless of how and even if you celebrate Christmas, we need to respect other people's beliefs and convictions. Some families may choose to celebrate a traditional Christmas with a tree, lights and lots of family traditions. Others may choose not to celebrate at all. Others will fall in the middle of both of these extremes. It is not our place to judge who is right or wrong. We must respect the convictions and beliefs of others, just as we would also want our beliefs and convictions respected.

   Challenge: practice showing respect to those with different beliefs and convictions (isntead of judgement and criticism)

Final Thoughts

Every year, we pour our time, money, and energy into Christmas — and yet each year it can feel like Christ becomes less and less central. We overspend, overcommit, and end the season exhausted and wondering why we do this to ourselves.

But the good news is this:You are in control of how you celebrate.

You get to choose whether your Christmas is centered on Jesus or simply on Jingle Bells.These challenges are tools to help you draw closer to Christ and refocus your heart on the true meaning of the season.

May this be the year Christ becomes the center of your Christmas again.