Christmas Silence And Song Series

which makes God's plan of salvation the primary focus. The shepherds were not just

celebrating because of their good fortune of being chosen to receive this revelation. They

were not just celebrating being among the few in all of history to hear the angels sing. They

were celebrating because now history was filled with hope. The message of Christmas is

good news for all people. Their hearts were expanded for they knew they were in on a secret

that would bless the entire human race.

In contrast listen to these lines from Dr. Seuss's How The Grinch Stole Christmas,

The Grinch hated Christmas! The whole Christmas season!

Now, please don't ask the reason. No one quite knows the reason.

It could be his head wasn't screwed on just right.

It could be, perhaps, that his shoes were too tight.

But I think the most likely reason of all

May have been that his heart was two sizes too small.

That is the problem with all who cannot or do not celebrate Christmas. Herod was one of

these. He could not get his heart to expand beyond himself and accept the gift of God. He

was locked into a world where all that mattered was his own ambitions. It takes a big heart

to see the big picture. The angels had enormous size hearts, for they knew all the negatives

and yet they were celebrating.

How could these beings who knew that Jesus would be rejected, in spite of His perfection,

be singing? They knew He would not call for their intervention to save Him from the cross,

yet they called His birth good news of great joy. It is because they see the end result is that

man will at last have a champion and a hero who can reverse the curse and open the door of

hope, so men can be saved and join them in everlasting praise.

The shepherds had large hearts as well and as soon as they saw the Christ child they

joined the angels in glorifying and praising God. For all with large enough hearts Christmas

is a celebration. The New Testament has a special vocabulary for those whose hearts are big

enough to see beyond the sin and folly of man to the gift of life in Jesus. The major words

are bless, thank, worship, glorify, honor, magnify, extol, rejoice in, sing to, and declare the

mighty works of God. All of these are to be a part of Christmas for it is the celebration of

the greatest Gift ever given.

Ann Weems has written a poem that expresses what Christians ought to feel about the

celebration of Christmas.

Each year about this time I try to be sophisticated

And pretend I understand the bored expressions

Relating to the "Christmas spirit."

I nod when they say "Put the Christ back in Christmas."

I say yes, yes, when they shout "Commercial" and

"Hectic, hectic, hectic."

After all, I'm getting older,

And I've heard it said, "Christmas is for children."

But somehow a fa-la-la keeps creeping out . . .

So l’ll say it:

I love Christmas tinsel

And angel voices that come from the beds upstairs.

And I say three cheers for Santa Claus

And the Salvation Army bucket

And all the wrappings and festivities and special warm feelings.