Faith | ‘Merry X-mas’ may be a reminder of something more blessed and bright
Merry X-mas!
Does that greeting make you glad? Or maybe mad? What does it even mean?
Specifically, what’s up with the X-factor?
Is the marking of an “X” banning something? Branding something? Abbreviating something? Or worse, blaspheming someone?
When I was a kid, someone told me that the phrase “Merry X-mas” was an obvious attempt by someone (maybe an advertiser, a Scrooge, or a “secularist”) to take Jesus out of Christmas—to take the name of “Christ” out of the season that bore His Name, effectively crossing it out, replacing it with an obnoxious “X.”
Ouch!
But could “X-mas” mean something even more bold, yet blessed, and bright? What if saying “Merry X-mas” was not trying to cross-out Christ, but rather, was serving as a sign that the Christ of Christmas, himself, crosses out your trying?
As you may know already, “X” is an actual abbreviation for the name “Christ,” coming from the first letter (“Chi”) in the Greek spelling of the name “Christos.” Strikingly, the letter itself looks like an “X”—and also, like a cross.
For the sake of your merriment this Christmas, consider how Jesus came in the flesh to cross-out— to “X-out”—your death, debt, and defeat.
Do you know what the Bible calls someone who fails to obey God’s Law perfectly? A “dead” man: spiritually, morally, totally, condemned-to-death, objects of God’s wrath.
Whoa!
How does news of death make your X-mas merry? If you can believe this, here’s how: the Christ (“X”) is able to bring law-breakers back to life, as he came to this earth to “X-out” the sting of death.
Meanwhile, the Christ who came to bear a cross for sinners can also X-out your debt. And if you’re saying to yourself, “Wait, what debt? Do I owe God something? I know I owe Visa something, especially after this past week of purchases! But what payment do I owe God?” Answer: perfect obedience, complete righteousness, paid in full, or else.
Well that certainly sounds more wary than merry; how can I cover that awesome I.O.U.? Short answer: You can’t.
But Merry X-mas! Christ Jesus came to “X-out” your debt, by giving his own life on an “X”—a cross: “He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross” (see Colossians 2:13-15).
Can you see the Son of God, both wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger—and wrapped in a burial cloth, lying in a tomb? Does that sound merry and bright? Or does that sound too “cross” for Christmas?
Yes, people ask, “Who took the Christ out of Christmas.” But we might ask as well: “Who took the cross out of Christmas?” Because from the nativity to the nails, the gospel truth reveals that X-Jesus went to a cross to X-out the death, debt, and defeat of his people.
So when you see a holiday sign calling you to “Believe!”—what Christmas miracle comes to mind, and grabs a hold of your heart? Is it the victory of a coming King?
“But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him” (Hebrews 9:26b-28).
Merry X-mas.
Rev. Dr. Craig P. Davis is minister at Grace United Reformed Church in Kennewick. Questions and comments should be directed to editor Lucy Luginbill in care of the Tri-City Herald newsroom, 4253 W. 24th Avenue, Kennewick, WA 99338. Or email lluginbill@tricityherald.com.
