It’s the most wonderful time of the year once again. There are countless little things that make this season special. A cozy sweater. Crisp weather. Delicious foods. Good moods. It’s not necessarily about the traditions or the customs. It’s the feelings that they give us.

But if we had to pick one tradition that brings us together more than anything else, would it not be gathering around the table? Think about it. The table has become a place of assembly, evoking emotions that transcend history and culture. The themes of gathering and fellowship are woven throughout all of Scripture. It was always God’s desire to spend time with His people around the table, and it always will be.

Creation

All good celebrations involve food. That’s just the way it is. You can’t really celebrate Christmas on an empty stomach. Good food is meant to be enjoyed together. Did God not give Adam and Eve a smorgasbord in the garden of Eden?

“And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food.” Genesis 2:8-9

There is no doubt that the food was delicious at the very first meal. But the best part was the company. God created Adam and Eve for this very purpose, for His own joy and pleasure.

“Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” Revelation 4:11

That’s the beauty of the table. It’s a place to belong and enjoy others’ company. When we gather to celebrate over delicious pies and a well roasted turkey, we are, in fact, doing something we were created to do. To know and to be known. To enjoy fellowship with God, together.

The Fall

That perfect world did not last long. Instead of being content and enjoying the food that God gave them, Adam and Eve reached for something else. Their focus went from “us” to “me.” The atmosphere became cold and stiff, the way it always feels when sin enters the picture.

We’ve all been to tables where we’ve felt uncomfortable. Perhaps there’s a food fight commencing between two cousins, or someone just spilled their drink for the twentieth time. Or there’s the other kind of uncomfortable, where no one is talking and everyone smiles awkwardly to make it through the obligatory dining experience.

It’s important to come to terms with the fact that every table has its flaws. No matter how much planning and preparation is done, the perfect holiday celebration no longer exists. That’s because we are broken people living in a broken world. Our relationships are messy – filled with drama and uncomfortable scenarios. Whether it’s sulking because we didn’t get the gift we wanted or crying in the bathroom because of inescapable pain and grief, we don’t always feel merry and bright.

“For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” 1 Corinthians 15:22

Christmas gatherings cannot be perfect now, but someday they will be. If one man can open the door to sin and death, then another man can surely close it. The first man was weak and vulnerable, as are the rest of us. But the second Man is strong and invincible. From that first Christmas celebration in a lowly stable to the very first Easter in an empty tomb, Jesus changed everything.

Redemption

Have you ever been to a table where you just felt at home? The atmosphere is warm and cheerful like chestnuts roasting on an open fire. People are there because they want to be. It’s the kind of Christmas celebration where everything just feels right. This moment of perfection is a small taste of the hope that the gospel brings. A glimmer of the eternal unity that awaits us. Like a candle, the gospel shines this Christmas as it always has and always will.

“For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” 2 Corinthians 4:6

This hope can take any table and turn it into a holy place. It doesn’t matter if it’s a big or a small table. A round or a square table. A short or a tall table. A sturdy or a weak table. Like a candle, the sweet aroma of redemption can fill a room and make it feel like home. Because it’s not about what we can do. It’s an opportunity to enjoy what Christ has already done. We must simply believe and receive.

Restoration

A day is coming when we will sit at the table with Christ himself. And it will be perfect. There will be no uncomfortable smiles, no selfish outbursts, no sorrow or grief. No one will be excluded because they just don’t fit in. Everyone will be the honored guest because Jesus will serve us, and He is no respecter of persons. The one who “receiveth sinners, and eateth with them” (Luke 15:2) will one day come back to receive us.

“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” John 14:1-3

What, then, is the point of these Christmas celebrations? Our holiday gatherings will never measure up to that perfect, eternal family meal. So, is it really worth the time and effort?

It is. We need to bring our pies and punch and banana pudding even if they didn’t quite turn out the way we’d hoped. We need to spend time with each other even if we are annoyed, frustrated, or just plain tired of messy relationships.

Because it’s not just about the restoration that is to come. Restoration is happening now before our very eyes! Like pieces of a Christmas puzzle, He is mending broken hearts and bringing us together to make one big, beautiful picture that will soon be completed and admired for all of eternity.

“For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us… that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby… For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;” Ephesians 2:14-19

So come to the table. Taste and see that He is good. Watch the glorious reality of redemption and restoration that is unfolding before your very eyes. From the beginning of time to the end of time. From one season to the next. From day to day. He offers you a seat at His table. Will you come and enjoy the feast?

“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” Revelation 3:20