Christmas in perspective

It seems as if we have lost Christmas. It is almost sick to see the holiday that with celebrate the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ disappear into shopping and santa. If I hear "are you ready for Christmas" again I think my head will explode. "Ready for Christmas" means "did you buy all you presents yet?

Part of this familiar passage is on many Christmas cards.

Isaiah 9 (New American Standard Bible)
Isaiah 9
Birth and Reign of the Prince of Peace 1But there will be no more gloom for her who was in anguish; in earlier times He treated the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali with contempt, but later on He shall make it glorious, by the way of the sea, on the other side of Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles. 2The people who walk in darkness Will see a great light; Those who live in a dark land, The light will shine on them. 3You shall multiply the nation, You shall increase their gladness; They will be glad in Your presence As with the gladness of harvest, As men rejoice when they divide the spoil. 4For You shall break the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders, The rod of their oppressor, as at the battle of Midian. 5For every boot of the booted warrior in the battle tumult, And cloak rolled in blood, will be for burning, fuel for the fire. 6For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. 7There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.

But if we read the end of chapter 8 it shows us that the coming Messiah is on the backdrop of a dark and fallen world.

Chapter 8 of Isaiah

19When they say to you, "Consult the mediums and the spiritists who whisper and mutter," should not a people consult their God? Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living?
20To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn.
21They will pass through the land hard-pressed and famished, and it will turn out that when they are hungry, they will be enraged and curse their king and their God as they face upward.
22Then they will look to the earth, and behold, distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish; and they will be driven away into darkness.

It seems as if shopping and wild gift giving is a kind of drug that helps people feel better about themselves and forget the Savior that born to save us from our sins.