This article originally appeared as Reason #22: Because Jesus answers our father-hunger in Join the Triumph of the Skies! 31 Reasons to Celebrate Christmas (yes, it is still available on Amazon; no, it won’t arrive in time for Christmas of 2024 – no Christmas miracles, unless you order it on Kindle)

And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. (Galatians 5:24)

If fatherlessness is the hallmark of our time, Christmas is the magnifying glass. In a subtle way, some of our most popular Christmas movies have featured this painful reality. Miracle on 34th Street, Rudolph, and in a sneaky way, Home Alone come immediately to mind. Father hunger also contributes to the popularity of Hallmark movies and has shaped our cultural view of this holiday season.

Would it surprise you to learn that the birth of Jesus answers this deep longing for a father’s love?

And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord (Luke 1:16-17)

The prophecy speaks of the ministry of John the Baptist, whose message was straightforward:

Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. (Matthew 3:2)

So, this message fulfilled the angel’s prophetic description of John’s ministry. As the nation repented in preparation for its Messiah, the fathers’ hearts would turn to their children and the children’s hearts to their fathers. The kingdom of heaven is at hand, and this will be the way of the kingdom.

Interestingly enough, the Old Testament ends with this same prophecy.

Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse. (Malachi 4:5-6)

What does it mean to turn the heart of the children to their fathers? Luke describes this as turning “the disobedient to the wisdom of the just.” And what will be the consequences for those who will not repent? Malachi warns, “Lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.”

So, John preached repentance, calling disobedient children to the wisdom of the just – that is, to fathers whose hearts had been turned to their children. Our Lord Jesus took up John’s message of repentance.

Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel. (Mark 1:14-15)

Jesus still preaches this in homes where fathers put Jesus Christ first. Because, when a father puts Jesus first, when he “seeks first the kingdom of God and his righteousness,” all these things (like repentant children) are added to him. By seeking Christ first, his heart will be turned to his children in a godly and helpful way.

With this in mind, we should consider all the extra family time we have over Christmas. One of our Christmas songs jokes, “And mom and dad can hardly wait for school to start again.” Hopefully, that won’t be the case. Yet, too often, our family gatherings become a dreaded event rather than a refreshing time of friendship. Erma Bombeck called it the “family ties that bind and gag.” You can watch Hallmark movies until your flannel shirt glows, but no amount of holiday smarm will cure the sin that sparks our family squabbles.

Self has a way of spoiling the best opportunities of our lives. And unfortunately, on those special days when the family comes together, Self tends to be the first guest to arrive and the last to leave. Unless we willfully nail Self to the cross, he will wreak havoc on our families.

Our Lord Jesus Christ came to “destroy him that has the power of death, and to deliver them who through all their lifetime were subject to vanity.” Jesus can do for your family what no amount of Christmas lights, falling snow, or egg nog could ever accomplish.

One thing that Jesus teaches us to do, once we have believed on Him, is to crucify the flesh with its affections and lusts. And if Christmas gatherings require any advance preparation, a fresh crucifixion must be in order, preferably between Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Then, with Self writhing on the cross, the family can come together and give as Christ has given – and so much more than mere presents.
The most important gifts we give at Christmas are not the gifts themselves but the extension of ourselves, our love, and our personal presence in every gift we give. And the best exchanges we make on Christmas day will be the love and companionship we share.

As we find ourselves but a few days away from this favorite holiday, I trust that we will set aside distractions, finish any business that might interfere, and devote our time to our families. Fathers, don’t let yourself be distracted by events and activities outside your home. Instead, turn your heart to your children and give yourself to them throughout this season. Children, do not harbor bitterness towards your parents, but give yourself to them in grateful love. Every family member should reserve this time for home and loved ones.

Is there not a triumph in this? God can make functional the dysfunction of our families; He can wipe away the animosities and peevish disputes of the past; He can turn hearts to the ones He created us to love.
May God fill your heart with a holy resolve to join the triumph of the skies!