Ryan's Ramblings

“Now I finally know the real meaning of Christmas.”

I’ll never forget the Christmas Eve my family and I spent with our friend Jaeyoung in Daejeon, South Korea. It was a cold, snowy night—just the way Christmas Eve is supposed to be—and we walked from our apartment to Jaeyoung’s restaurant for dinner.

The restaurant was tiny — only three tables — and packed when we arrived. Some customers were seated and eating, others stood waiting for takeout. Jaeyoung and his wife were well loved in that part of the city, known for two things: their good food and their warm friendship.

We finally got a table, and Jaeyoung and his wife showered us with care and attention — they adored our two daughters. The meal was delicious. As the evening wore on, the crowd thinned, and before long we were the only ones left. We had nowhere else to go and wanted to linger with our Korean friends.

Jaeyoung pulled a chair close and sat with us. Our Korean was limited, but his English was good enough for a real conversation. He was quiet for a moment, his eyes slowly scanning the room — the flashing lights in the window, the Santa picture taped to the door, the worn tree standing in the corner. His gaze lingered there before he turned back to me. And then, with a seriousness that caught me off guard, he asked,

“What is the real meaning of Christmas?”

I paused, letting his question sink in.

Is Christmas all about Santa, the Grinch, Rudolph, Frosty, gifts, toys, trees, decorations, and twinkling lights? These are all part of the season as we know it, bringing joy and color, filling it with fun and festivity. But Christmas is more than that—so much more.

I told Jaeyoung about God’s deep love for all people — how He created the universe and made us His most treasured possession. God desires a relationship with us as His children. He is love. And in love, He gave us free will — the choice to love Him back. But we chose otherwise. Our sin separated us from the Holy God.

The whole story of Scripture is about God’s relentless pursuit of us — His call to bring us home. And in the greatest act of love, God sent His Son, Jesus, into the world. Jesus came as God in the flesh to reveal the Father’s heart, to die for our sins, and to rise again — offering us forgiveness and the hope of eternal life.

And then, right there in that little restaurant, my mind went to Linus — standing on a quiet, dimly lit stage — answering Charlie Brown’s question:

“Isn’t there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?”

I smiled and shared Luke 2:8–12 with Jaeyoung:

“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger” (KJV).

Then I leaned in and said, “Jaeyoung, the real meaning of Christmas isn’t about Santa, gifts, trees, and lights. It isn’t even about the three wise men, Mary and Joseph, or a baby lying in a manger.

Listen to what the angel said: “…unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior.”

Unto you.

Christmas is all about you and me — and God’s love for each one of us.

John the disciple says it well: “This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him” (1 John 4:9, NIV).

That night, in that tiny restaurant, the message broke through. Christmas isn’t just about nativity scenes or holiday traditions. It isn’t even just about God’s miraculous act. Christmas is about us — and the God who loves us.

Jaeyoung sat quietly for a moment, taking it all in. Then his face softened, and a smile slowly spread across it. He placed his hand over his heart and said, almost in a whisper,

“Now I finally know the real meaning of Christmas.”