Scripture Reading: Isaiah 9:6-7
“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
“Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon His kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.”
Can you even imagine what it would be like to have a day set aside to ponder this greatest gift of all? What would it be like to have a day to commemorate the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem in fulfillment of the ancient prophecies?
Let’s take a journey into a magical land.
A land where there are no Christmas trees, no ornaments, no Christmas lights.
A land where there is no Black Friday frenzy and no Cyber Monday madness.
A land where there is no Santa Claus, no Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer.
A land where Grandma never got run over by a reindeer.
A land where there are no commercials inciting children to hound their parents for gifts they don’t need until, finally, one of the parents gives in and the other parent gets mad because they did.
A land where parents don’t have to worry about some child telling their child that Santa doesn’t really exist because they won’t know who Santa is supposed to be anyway.
A land where credit card bills do not hang on for months while the gifts that were purchased with those same credit cards are forgotten, lying in the corner of the bedroom.
A land where no one frets about whether to say Merry Christmas or happy holidays.
Just try to imagine such a place. A land of peace.
But sadly, we don’t live in such a land; not at all!
Let me read for you some of the websites that the world flocks to at this time of year.
Managing Holiday Stress - Cleveland Clinic
Understanding and Managing Holiday Stress – Verywell.com
Stress, depression and the holidays: Tips for coping – Mayoclinic.org
Holiday stress? 10 Ways to relax and enjoy the season – sheknows.com
25 Ways to Fight Holiday Stress - Health.com
Coping With Holiday Stress - American Psychological Association
Holiday Stress | National Child Traumatic Stress Network ...
How can there possibly be so many negative side effects to setting aside a day to remember the miraculous birth of Jesus, God becoming a Man?
Could it possibly be that the holiday no longer has anything to do with the birth of Jesus?
It’s as if our society says, “Thanks, Jesus, for being born. Now just go sit quietly in the corner while we celebrate this day the way we want to celebrate it.”
Perhaps Jesus and His birth just isn’t exciting enough for us.
Have you ever tried to imagine what Jesus would say if He was to walk among us through the Christmas season? I’m not talking about America in general but among those who claim the name of Jesus as their Lord and Savior and King.
What would He think?
Let’s just take one simple aspect about Jesus, the God in the manger.
Humility.
A manger. A manger! Jesus, who would be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.
A manger. Have you ever watched a cow eat? They drool. Now, we don’t know if this manger was used for cattle or donkeys or horses or goats or whatever. What we do know is that it was not intended as a place for a baby to sleep.
I doubt if there were any mangers in the palace of the Roman emperor or in the Herod’s palace or even in the houses of Bethlehem. Why? Because you don’t keep cattle in a house so there’s no need for a manger.
But a manger was just the perfect place for the newborn Son of God to be sleeping. Why?
Shepherds. Shepherds would not be comfortable or even allowed to go into a palace to search for the infant nor could they barge into someone’s home to look for a Baby in a manger. But, a shepherd would be right at home in a stable or a cave used to house animals.
Yep, they could walk right in and feel right at home.
And, talk about humility! Shepherds weren’t just humble they were routinely humiliated by their society. Shepherds were supposed to stay out in the fields with the sheep. They weren’t supposed to be in town, running around in the middle of the night claiming to have seen angels and looking for “a Savior who is Christ the Lord”. Sure an angel told them to go find the Messiah in a manger.
The distance from Bethlehem to the Temple Mount is only about five miles. Why would some angels announce the birth of the Messiah to these shepherds instead of the Scribes and the Pharisees and the Priests and the Sanhedrin Council in Jerusalem?
Why? Because Jesus was coming in humility, an aspect of human character which the Lord had valued all through the history of the Jewish nation.
And, that’s just the humility we see in Scripture found at Jesus’ birth.
Where else do we see humility in the life of the Son of God, the Son of Man?
We see it when the Son of God gets up from the table, takes off His outer garment wraps a towel around His waist and washes the feet of the disciples.
Foot washing was the task of the lowest servant in the household. If you were a servant who was prideful and you were instructed to wash the feet of the dinner guests you would be humiliated.
But, not the Son of God; He volunteered for the task to demonstrate humility to those who would go on to demonstrate humility for others.
What if we were to think about such things as these on the day set aside to celebrate the birth of Jesus?
We continue to see humility in Jesus’ life when He would touch those who were considered to be “unclean”. Those who were diseased and crippled and gentiles and even the dead.
The Jewish leaders avoided those who were diseased or crippled or gentiles or the dead because if they were to touch any of these it would make them ceremonially unclean. The uncleanness would pass from the unclean or sinful person to the ceremonially clean and righteous person.
Our humble Savior was just the opposite. When He touched the unclean they were made well and sometimes even holy.
Do you ever wonder about how Jesus dressed, what He wore? We know from the Bible that the Scribes and Pharisees dressed in a very recognizable set of clothing, almost a uniform. I wonder if Rabbi’s and Priest’s did the same?
Did Jesus dress the same way with all of the decorations and symbols that would identify Him as being someone important or did He dress more like the commoner?
Holy humility is a beautiful thing. Jesus demonstrated holy humility for us over and over in His birth, His life and His death.
Matthew 11:28-30 NIV
“Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Let me ask you a question … Isn’t that what we need? To be connected with The Son of God who is gentle and humble in heart so that we can find rest for our souls?
Christmas in the beginning was intended to be a Holy Day. A day of remembering who this Baby born in a stable and laid in a manger really is.
Let me give you an illustration of the immense humility shown by the Son of God in becoming the Son of Man.
(Pick up a symbol of the Alpha and the Omega and a symbol of the manger)
Jesus Christ, the Alpha and the Omega existed before time and eternity. He created all things.
Jesus Christ, the Alpha and the Omega will continue to exist past the end of this world and throughout eternity. He was God. He is God. He always will be God.
(Now hold the Alpha and the Omega symbol above the manger.)
Even though the Son of God, Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace was so far above His creation, He condescended to become the Son of Man; fully God and Fully Man.
(Place the Alpha and the Omega symbol behind the manger.)
This is the inexpressible, amazing truth of the incarnation and He did this to rescue us from sin and eternal death.
In spite of this inexpressible, amazing truth we have allowed the celebration of His birth to become so secularized that it is almost unrecognizable.
Christmas has become a carnival, a carnival where Jesus is a side show, a really old side show that everyone is bored with and no one wants to go into any more.
I wonder what would happen if we were to observe a real Christmas where Christ was the center of everything said and done and the day was spent worshipping Him and adoring Him?
People would certainly think we were odd.
I believe the Lord and we would find it refreshing.
Verse 1
In Christ alone my hope is found - He is my light my strength my song
This Cornerstone this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love what depths of peace
When fears are stilled when strivings cease
My Comforter my all in all - Here in the love of Christ I stand
Verse 2
In Christ alone who took on flesh - Fullness of God in helpless Babe
This gift of love and righteousness - Scorned by the ones He came to save
'Til on that cross as Jesus died - The wrath of God was satisfied
For ev'ry sin on Him was laid - Here in the death of Christ I live
Verse 3
There in the ground His body lay - Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious day - Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory - Sin's curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine - Bought with the precious blood of Christ
Verse 4
No guilt in life no fear in death - This is the pow'r of Christ in me
From life's first cry to final breath - Jesus commands my destiny
No pow'r of hell no scheme of man - Can ever pluck me from His hand
'Til He returns or calls me home - Here in the pow'r of Christ I'll stand
CCLI Song #3350395 - © 2001 Thankyou Music - Keith Getty | Stuart Townend - CCLI License #1718450
