John Calvin and the Theological Foundations of a Reflective Christmas
When you think of a traditional Christmas , you probably picture twinkling lights, festive carols, and community warmth. But for John Calvin , the great Reformation thinker, Christmas was a far more serious, profound, and beautifully sober affair. Calvin, known for his relentless focus on the Sovereignty of God and commitment to biblical purity ; didn’t throw out the Christmas story . Instead, he stripped away all the non-biblical customs and demanded a deep, intellectual, and worshipful engagement with the ultimate mystery: God becoming human . The Theological Anchor: God is in Charge At the heart of Calvin’s theology is the idea that God governs absolutely everything . For him, the Incarnation ; the birth of Jesus ; was not a sentimental surprise, but the climax of God's sovereign plan for redemption. He considered Christmas as the ultimate proof that salvation is completely God’s initiative. It wasn't about a sweet moment in Bethlehem ; it was the di...