The Carol of the Walls

What do our Christmas decorations say about
our celebration of Christmas?

A few years ago while browsing the Christmas décor at Walmart, I noticed they had a selection of removable wall stickers that were explicitly Christian. For less than ten dollars, I could put Luke 2:11 and a nativity scene on my wall. Needless to say, they ended up in my cart and we began a new tradition that year—literally decking out our walls in Jesus’ name. At first it seemed just a great solution to the season we were in: here was a nativity my 18-month-old twins couldn’t break, a Jesus in a manager piece the kids couldn’t wander off with. It worked.

Now we’re back to a season of life where we can put up a real nativity, but the wall stickers have stuck around. After years of carefully removing them and storing them, they come out every Christmas as an important reminder to all of us: Advent is first and foremost the celebration of Christ.

Over my lifetime, I’ve inherited a large selection of Christmas decorations, passed on by grandmas who shared their excitement for Christmas by beautifying their homes. Even bathrooms were decorated. One of my grandmas is now celebrating in heaven and the other, here on earth and in her nineties, is downsizing her trimmings to fit her apartment. As I look through all the Christmas treasures they have passed on to me and seek to make Advent traditions for my own children, I’m realizing more and more the importance of what I put up on our walls and trees. If someone were to ask my children, “What is Christmas about?” what would they answer? Or if the person didn’t ask at all, would they know what we celebrate on Christmas simply based on what they see of our home?

Advent should be a season of joy, a season set apart as we celebrate the incarnation of the Light of the World (John 8:12). Even if at no other time of the year we make any effort to decorate for a holiday, surely Christmas is worth our consideration. The carol “Joy to the World” does say, “Let every heart prepare Him room.” One way we can remind ourselves to do that is to put up visible reminders in the rooms of our home. When making the effort to decorate for Christmas, I try to keep two questions in mind:

Is it about Christ? I’m not advocating we go on a “Santa hunt,” round-up reindeer, melt down Frosty, or burn miniature villages of innocent figurines. However, when we walk through this season as a family, I want the dominant theme of our thoughts and hearts to be Christ. Advent is celebration of God’s fulfillment of His promise given in Genesis 3:15—the long-awaited Messiah has been born!

The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;

those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
on them has light shone. […]
For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given;

and the government shall be upon his shoulders
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and of peace

there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,

to establish it and to uphold it

with justice and with righteousness

from this time forth and forevermore.

The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. (Isaiah 9:2, 6-7)

To greet this Redeemer King, to mark His advent on this earth, I want to prepare my rooms in such a way that points the eyes and hearts of all who enter my house to Him. Just as He is exalted over everything in the universe, so He should be preeminent in my decorations celebrating the occasion of His birth. The joy of our Advent season should be obviously and visibly rooted in Jesus.

Is it explicit? “Joy to the World” is a beautiful text to put on the wall—but am I also telling my heart, my children, and my guests why the world should be joyful? What specific reason do I have for this joy? “The Lord is come.” Rejoice because Jesus has come.

Our culture is very at home with spiritual sounding phrases and words as long as they are kept comfortably vague. But Jesus wasn’t vague, and nor should we be when celebrating His birth. This good news of great joy was spelled out explicitly: “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11).

A Savior. This is the reason we have Christmas. We don’t merely celebrate a baby being born and named Jesus. We celebrate what this infant God-man was born to accomplish. He came to be the Savior of His people. In all our Christmas celebrations, we must keep in our minds that He came for Maundy Thursday, for Good Friday, for Easter Sunday. To simply put “believe” on my wall falls short of the angel’s message to the shepherds. What I must believe, what my children and friends must believe, is that a Savior was born to rescue us from our sins. Start with “believe,” but don’t stop there: “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). Put “believe” over the nativity. Put the cross on your Christmas tree. This is the comfort and joy of Christmas:

God rest ye merry gentlemen

Let nothing you dismay

Remember Christ our Savior

Was born on Christmas Day

To save us all from Satan's pow'r

When we were gone astray

Oh tidings of comfort and joy

Comfort and joy

Oh tidings of comfort and joy

(from “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen”)

Advent and Christmas offer us a unique opportunity to present the Gospel with the very walls and nooks and crannies of our homes. The festivity of the season and the beauty of the décor can soften hearts and open ears to hear the story of our Savior’s birth. The angels came proclaiming the best news in all the world on Christmas night. Let’s not miss out on our chance to proclaim their message to our world. Let’s use our homes this season to remind our own souls as well as all those living in spiritual darkness that a Savior has come, has died, and has come to life again that they might come to Him and receive life and light (John 1:4). What better news could we ask for? What better gift could we hope for? This year, let’s visibly embrace the best reason of all to celebrate Christmas.