Plain Brown Paper Bags for Christmas 2007
Luke 2:1-20
Today we celebrate a birthday that is 2007 years old. How is it that people are still excited and motivated to celebrate a 2007 year old birthday? It seems every year people grow more excited about that first birthday 2007 years ago.
Well this is no ordinary birthday. This is Jesus birthday and His name says it all. This is the birthday of the promised Messiah, The King of Israel, and the Son of David. It is the birthday of the Saviour of Mankind. It is a day that was long awaited for and prayed for and promised and finally fulfilled.
In my lifetime Ive been around for just 50 of these special birthday celebrations. But each one grows more thrilling and exciting than the last. There is wonder and awe and mystery and thanksgiving and joy and hope all wrapped up in this birth of the Christ child. These elements remain and continue and are new every year as more and more people are drawn to the Nativity.
What is it about Jesus birth that causes us to celebrate so? The reasons are obvious for many and obscure for others.
Many of us know John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:17 completes the action. For God did not send His son into the world to condemn the world but to save the world through Him.
Christmas is about a Father expressing His love to His children. Our Heavenly Father has done just that by giving Jesus to us.
Christmas has become a time to reminisce and think back on all our precious loved ones and how we shared Christmas together. Our church Sharing Tree is a great example of this. So many have touched our hearts with their lives and have imparted deep and meaningful memories that we carry into this celebration time. It is fitting that we remember them as we honor their lives for all they have meant to us.
This is my first Christmas without my Dad, others here at New St. Andrews share in a similar loss of a loved one over this past year. Yet, the passing of our loved ones must not diminish our Joy as we celebrate Christmas for we know our loved ones are having Christmas with Jesus in heaven this year. Now that must be some birthday party!
I can not begin to imagine the thrill it must be to be in the presence of the guest of honor King Jesus! While we wait for our heavenly invitation to that party we continue to celebrate here on earth. You see Jesus is no less present here on earth than He is in Heaven. Because He is God He is with us even now! That connection keeps us connected to our loved ones who have gone on ahead of us. We are together this Christmas in and through and by our Lord Jesus Christ.
Christmas is about a Father expressing His love to His children.
In my family my Dad started a tradition at Christmas, Im sure many of you have your own special traditions, they are part of what makes Christmas such a special time. A long, long time ago when I was just a tyke my Dad was busy collecting five plain brown paper grocery bags for Christmas day. These were the large paper bags that stores used to use before we discovered plastic. We had five children in our family and Dad collected five new bags.
He would then take all the Christmas cards that we had received and would pile them on the kitchen table. Then using our pencil crayons and markers he would begin to draw and color five unique Christmas scenes one on each bag and then he would write the name of the child at the top of the bag in colors and a design that matched the Christmas scene he had made.
This all took place after we were ushered off to bed as we waited for Santa to make his annual stop at our home. Late into the night my Dad would toil over each bag. For some reason he always waited until Christmas Eve to make these bags. We could hear the Christmas music playing into the night as we drifted off to sleep. Occasionally we would hear Dad singing along.
Each bag became a unique work of art with each childs name written across the top. He would then fill each bag with fruit and candy and nuts and toys. So great was his love for his children that no regular Christmas stocking would do. No Christmas stocking was large enough to hold all that he wanted to give us. No Christmas stocking could display the Christmas message he wanted us to see. Only his hand drawn paper bags could properly express his love for us.
We would wake early on Christmas day not anxious to see the toys and presents under the tree we knew they would be there. We wanted to see what Dad had drawn on our bag and we wanted to see what Dad had put inside it. He would line all five bags up in front of the fireplace so that it was the first thing we saw as we came down the stairs. Each bag was beautiful and special to each child, hand crafted and unique.
If Dad only knew all we really wanted at Christmas was his hand drawn Christmas bags he could have saved a lot of money over the years but he gave us so much more, more than we deserved and more than we could imagine.
Christmas is about a Father expressing His love to His children.
You see you may think your life is just like a plain brown paper grocery bag. You may think its kind of ordinary and common, nothing really that special. But did you know that your Heavenly Father wants to write upon it and wants to draw on your life a beautiful colorful scene? He wants to draw a scene that is unique and special to you. He wants to draw on your life a work of art that will cause people to stop and see you in a way as never before. Your Heavenly Father wants to draw a star and a manger and a new born baby boy with proud new parents adoring Him. The scene includes a cross and an empty tomb and an out stretched hand. Its an invitation, to take His hand and receive His gift. Yes it is far more than you deserve or could imagine, but it is what you need and it is the full expression of your Fathers love for you.
There is more, your Heavenly Father wants to fill that life with all kinds of wonderful things. He wants to give you forgiveness as youve never known it. He wants to give you Hope, Joy and Peace a peace that passes all understanding. He wants to give you the wisdom of His word and the counsel to help you make your way.
Your Heavenly Father wants to fill your life to overflowing with blessing after blessing so that you will not be able to empty the bag. Even when you come to the end of this life you will find the eternal gifts continue and they are innumerable.
There is so much more to understanding Gods love for you. He is preparing a place for you even now, a special place in heaven. So that you too will one day be able to celebrate Jesus birthday with Him in heaven.
Let your Heavenly Father draw the picture He wants you to have on your life. You are not ordinary, you are not common, each and every one of His children is special to Him. God will draw on your life a work of art that you can not begin to imagine. Give Him your life this Christmas and you will receive Christmas presents everyday for all eternity.
Christmas is about a Father expressing His love for His children. See here in the manage His full expression of His love for you.
Let us pray.
