How can we focus on Jesus during the busy Christmas season?
Christmas Special
Hosts:
J. Kent Edwards
Vicki Hitzges
Nathan Norman
The CrossTalk Podcast is a production of CrossTalk Global, equipping biblical communicators, so every culture hears God’s voice. To find out more, or to support the work of this ministry please visit www.crosstalkglobal.org
Produced by Nathan James Norman/Untold Podcast Production
© 2025 CrossTalk Global
Nathan: Hello, listeners. We're recording this right before the Christmas holiday, but when you're listening to this, it's the day after Christmas, December 26th. And so we thought we would take a moment and step back and say, how do we reflect on Christ during the Christmas season? How can we keep Jesus in the midst of all the commercialism, all of the stress, all of the obligations during this holiday season and everything surrounding it? Now, you might say it's a little too late for me right now because it's the day after, but I don't think so. And I have an answer for that. But let's hear from Kent Edwards and Vicki Hitchkes as we explore the question. Hey, how can we keep Christ in Christmas? Hey, Kent and Vicki. We know our listenership is really low right after a holiday. It's the day after Christmas, as our listeners are listening to this, and we are all in different places and different states of mind and different locations. But I thought, as we're considering the holiday season, which is usually really busy and filled with commercialism and a lot of obligations, family obligations, church obligations, business obligations.
Kent: How.
Nathan: How can we keep Christ in our Christmas celebrations? So what are some of your suggestions to do that?
Vicki: Well, if this is airing the day after Christmas, this may be late, but it's a good thing to remember for the next year. When I was growing up, my mother would always say, now this is the most important, best part of Christmas. And then my dad would read the Christmas story from Luke, and I'd say, yes, and. And I'd think, hurry up, hurry up, hurry up. I didn't care about that at all, but I knew it was gonna happen. And so I'd act like I. Well, as I got older. And then after my dad died, oh, man, that is by far the best part of Christmas. In fact, later in his life, I recorded him reading the Christmas story, and, oh, it's precious to me. It's just precious to me. And by far, that is it. And your kids will value that if, when they're little, you read that story to them.
Nathan: Yeah, I bet you you probably have almost no memory of any of the presents you got, but you have an enduring memory of the Christmas story read by your father.
Vicki: That is Christmas to me.
Kent: One of the things that I found helpful leading up to Christmas at least, is to play Christmas music. Not, you know, grandma got run over by a reindeer song, but ones that are genuinely. But in contemporary ways, communicating the true meaning of Christmas. And I find we've got speakers that I can spread out. So most People in the house will be able to hear the songs. And I find that changes the mood. Yeah, that and I found that very helpful post Christmas. I find it interesting to talk about the decorations that we are taking down. My wife Nola has these stars that hang in front of windows. Why do we put stars up? Because there was a star that led the wise men that told the wise men about Christ and who traveled thousands of miles to come and meet their Savior and bow down to Him. God wants everyone in the world to know who he is and he wants to lead them to Himself. Yeah, well, we were taking down the Christmas tree. Yeah, I know, but why a Christmas tree? Why not a palm tree? Green speaks of life and pine trees live winter and summer. Not the one I just cut down. But in real life, it is showing us that the hope we have in our Savior is evergreen ever with us. And he brings life. And change the metaphor slightly. When we follow him, we are like a tree planted by the river that can flourish. That's the Savior that we have. I want to look at the. The Kressh scene that my wife has, crystal figures all gathered around the manger and talk about what it'd be like to see the humility of God to come in the flesh. If there was ever a person who taught us to think, view ourselves with humility, it's the birth of Christ. May we emulate his character this year as we. It just comments about the various things, what they represent and why and. Yeah, we just found that helpful. I found it helpful. Yeah.
Nathan: Excellent, excellent. The flying reindeer represent.
Kent: Santa Claus in Walmart. So you can forget that part.
Nathan: That's right. Santa with a Coca Cola in his hand represents it. No, you know, yeah, that's excellent. So what I have found helpful is just kind of following the ancient liturgical calendar, right? So Advent season is usually the Sunday right after Thanksgiving, unless Thanksgiving is weird. So it's the four Sundays leading up to Christmas. And we use that as a time where we celebrate both Advents of Christ. Right. We look back and we celebrate his first coming. And we look forward and look forward to anticipating his second coming, just as ancient Israel anticipated His first coming. Right. So I think that's helpful for me anyways, personally. But then. So technically we're not in the Christmas season right now. Actually our listeners are, because they're listening to this the day after Christmas. The Christmas season begins on Christmas Day, following up to January 6th epiphany, or all Kings Day, where we celebrate the Kings bringing or the Magi bringing the presents to The Christ child. And so that's two weeks after it. And so what I've found my life hack is all the craziness happens during Advent, right? And then our culture gets depressed on December 26. But afterwards, for me, anyways, now it's like, okay. Everyone's like, okay, I'm done. Everything's fine. I listen to music till the six. Like, I listen to Christmas music till Epiphany. Because now I'm calmed down, I'm relaxed, I enjoy it. There's no more obligations. You know, there's some, you know, go visit this family member over here, over there. Right. But it's so much less stress. And so I'm able to. Now, as you were saying, Kent, Now I have the time and energy to slow down, reflect and enjoy. So I no longer feel this weird sense of depression on the 26th. I can just ease my way through to Epiphany and then say, okay, now it all comes down.
Kent: And this might be especially important for people who are in church ministries, because if there's one time your congregation does not want to see you, it's right after Christmas.
Nathan: Absolutely. They don't care.
Kent: Everyone's exhausted from all the Christmas things. And so this is your time to renew, recharge, get ready. Because the New Year's coming and it's going to have lots of challenges.
Nathan: That's right. And we have historical precedents that this is called Christmastide or Christmas time. Right. And so you have two weeks to kind of just flow and enjoy it with minimal drama and minimal stress and.
Kent: Time that you need to spend with family. Often we're so busy, this is a time when we can slow down and prioritize them.
Nathan: Amen.
Vicki: We used to every year get together and do prayer requests together. And I would save my list, and when we got together the next year, just be amazed at how God answered all those prayers.
Kent: Yeah, that's helpful.
Nathan: And you would never even think about it unless it was written down. Right. To see the hand of God working and you're like, oh, yeah, that was a thing a year ago. Right. And he's answered it. And I'm even unaware of all of the blessings he's given me.
Vicki: And some of the things, long term health problems didn't get answered, but for the most part they did. God was very faithful.
Kent: Yeah.
Nathan: Well, from the crosstalk family to you. Merry Christmas, Happy New Year.
Kent: Merry Christmas.
Vicki: Merry Christmas.
Nathan: And we're looking forward to hearing from you next time.
Kent: Amen.