Christmas Eve Series

Christmas Eve

December 24, 2021

Christmas is such a great time of the year. It’s filled with a little more excitement and energy than in the middle of February and March. Yet, as excited as we are about Christmas, it’s easy to gloss over the Christmas story because we’ve heard it over and over.

So, as I was reading over the passages we read earlier, something struck me from Matthew 1. It’s what the angel said to Joseph. You see Joseph was going to give Mary a quiet divorce. He didn’t want to hurt her, somehow he was going to divorce her quietly. I’m not sure how that would look in those days, as it’s obvious Mary is pregnant and there’s some crazy story about who the father is.

But for Joseph, as well as Mary, there would have been a lot of shame to take Mary as his wife. I mean she’s already pregnant and she has some far - fetched story about who the real father is. How do you explain that away? How do you even tell your parents about what’s going on?

So, God sends an angel to talk to Joseph, and in a dream, the angel tells him - - -

20 “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.

It’s pretty straight-forward, but as I was reading and thinking about this - it struck me what the angel was really telling Joseph and what it means for us.

You see, it appears that at first, Joseph was more concerned about public opinion than God’s opinion. Why else was he going to divorce Mary? There would have been a lot of looks and comments made. So, let’s skip the comments, the looks and the shame . . . and I’ll do the noble thing, divorce her.

How true is that for us? Do we live in fear of what others will say about us? We make ourselves look great on social media, and fear the opinions of others, as if everybody else has their act together and we don’t.

The truth is none of us have our act together - - and - - that’s great news! That gives me a little comfort. But what gives me the most comfort is that God doesn’t hold this against me. That’s why He sent Jesus, to be our Immanuel, God with us.

So, when we mess up . . . and when we sin against Him and one another . . . and we all do, what does God say about our sinfulness? Does He condemn us? Does He lock us up and throw away the key?

NO! Never! He calls us to Himself again and again. We read passages from Paul that tell us - - -

34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died — more than that, who was raised — who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,

39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Isn’t that great news? God sent the Son into the world not to condemn us, but to be with us, in fact even to intercede for us. That way nothing, absolutely nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Really, that’s why we’re celebrating tonight and tomorrow. It’s because of God’s intense, passionate love for you and I that He sent Jesus for us. We talk about the baby coming into the world, but the story is deeper and richer, because it’s about me and you.

Think about the story of the prodigal son. Think how bad he sinned and messed up. He used up his blessings and inheritance, yet the Father, who represents God was there waiting for him, celebrating his return.

We need to hear this! We need to be reminded that we are loved. Yes, we mess up and more than that, we are sinful, but this is exactly why the Father sent the Son. God’s opinion of us is what’s most important.

So, Joseph gets it. He says YES to the angel. He doesn’t worry about what the world is going to say about his pregnant soon to be wife. He doesn’t worry about the scorn, the looks, the shame. Instead, Joseph says yes, I will love and care for Mary. I will raise that boy to be my boy.