The Sights Of Christmas Series

Hal Bowser said, "the most exciting gift I've ever received was the microscope my parents

gave me for Christmas when I was eleven." The first thing he did on that Christmas day was

to go out in the back yard and get some water from a rain puddle. He put a drop under his

microscope and what he saw changed his whole life. He saw creatures he never knew existed

and a world filled with life beyond his wildest dreams. He realized that microscopy opened

up whole new worlds of color and creativity. No longer would even slimy ditch water be

contemptible to him, for everywhere, there was fascinating beauty and life.

When he grew up he joined the New York Microscopical Society and began to meet large

numbers of micromaniacs. People all over the world study animal, mineral and vegetable

phenomenon invisible to the naked eye and see wonders most people never see. There are

people every day who see things God has made in this world that the rest of the world does

not see.

This was a major characteristic of the first Christmas as well. It was a time of seeing the

invisible world. The most advanced technology in electronic microscopes could not have

enabled man to see what was seen on that first Christmas. All the main characters of the

Christmas story were allowed to see the world of the invisible.

Mary was permitted to see the angel Gabriel who came to announce that she was to give

birth to the Messiah. Only three people in all of history saw this divine messenger who

stands in the presence of God-Daniel, Mary and Zechariah.

Joseph was given a vision by which he was able to see Mary was not unfaithful but was

with child by the Holy Spirit. What he saw in that vision made him a cooperative companion

with Mary in the ordeal of the Incarnation.

The wise men would never have been a part of the Christmas story had God not revealed

to them the Star of Bethlehem. This was clearly a supernatural sight not visible to all the

world but only to these specialist who were gazing at the heavens for signs. Such a sight

would bring people from everywhere if they could have seen it. But it was only the few who

could see this star of wonder.

The shepherds had their own unique supernatural vision. The angel of the Lord

appeared to them and the field lit up with the glory of the Lord. The wise men never got to

see these glorious beings. And the shepherds never saw the star. Mary and Joseph did not

apparently see either sight. God gave each person and each group of persons the kind of

vision they needed to motivate them to do what He willed.

The one vision they all had in common was the most marvelous vision of all: they all saw

the Word who had become flesh. They all saw the invisible become visible. The Son who

reigned with God in the invisible realm of the Spirit, where the eyes of man cannot penetrate,

was now visible in that babe of Bethlehem. They were seeing the greatest miracle of all

history and the wonder of the ages that makes all other miracles pale in comparison. This

was the eye-witness event of all time and it changed all of time.

The birth of the Son of God has given us the most eye appealing holiday of the year.

Christmas is a seeing experience. The response of the shepherds has become the universal

response at Christmas-let's go see! They could not wait to go see the Christ child. The wise

men could not rest until they saw the Christ child. The desire to see the Gift of God is the

strongest desire we see motivating the people on that first Christmas.

The eye gate is still the main gate to the Christmas experience. It is the season for seeing.

Let's go see Santa; let's go see the decorations; let's go see the lights; let's go see the

Christmas play; etc. the whole nation is caught up in a seeing frenzy at Christmas. Seeing is

what gets us in the mood. We put up the tree and get out the decorations to change the

whole atmosphere. We do it because seeing is the essence of the season.

When the word became flesh and we beheld the glory of God in visible form, that changed

everything. We see God in a new light and all of life is seen from a new perspective.

Changing the whole atmosphere in which we live is a valid symbol of the significance of what

God did by letting his invisible nature become visible in Jesus Christ. Decorating is a visible