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.
For me, it’s a reminder that God, in His amazing, glorious power, can take our worst moments, our hurts, our defeats, our sinfulness and turn them into something beautiful and significant.
It’s easy to let the darkness overwhelm us. It’s easy to look at the world right now and think this is a crazy, sin-filled world. And you know what, you’re right! But there’s beauty and power and majesty all around us. And that’s what we have to focus on. There’s so much good out there, and it’s easy to get caught up in the negative stuff.
I want to encourage you to look at what’s good, what’s right, what’s noble, to be the shining example. To not let what the world says about your faith in Jesus to determine who you are. Instead, let God be the One who calls you, who loves you, who adopted you, who gave you an amazing inheritance. Let His opinion of you be what’s most important. Let that be what drives you and moves you.
In a moment we are going to light our candles, and that got me thinking about some of the reasons why we do that.
Light is a symbol of hope. A beacon guides an airplane home in foggy conditions. A lighthouse steers a ship away from the dangerous shoreline. The reflectors on the highway median will guide you in darkness. How many of us like to have a night light on, whether we’re 5 or 85?
People in darkness are overjoyed to see light. Have you ever driven through a long dark tunnel? You are glad when you see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Jesus came as a light to guide us and take away the darkness. In John 12:46, Jesus said - - -
46 “I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.” - John 12:46
Jesus came into a spiritually dark world. Just look at what’s going on in our world and anyone can see the darkness. Pandemic, wars, famine, sickness, social discord and so on. But from the time Jesus was born until the time He died, Jesus, the light, attracted people and their attention.
Jesus constantly drew people out of the darkness. The blind are given sight. The dead are raised to life. The hungry are fed. The sick are healed. The spiritually thirsty are quenched with Living Water.
Today, where does God display His light? In you! That’s part of the majesty and beauty of Christmas. We have the opportunity to bring His light with us wherever we go because Jesus is the light. It’s because of that one verse we’ve talked about this advent season, from Matthew 1:23 - -
23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call His name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). - Matthew 1:23
The Father sent His Son for you and me. It’s the promise that the light of the world is always with us, never to fail us, never to forsake us. Christmas is a crazy time of year. It’s filled with so much good, and too often we see the not so good and I just want us to see the good, it’s Jesus, Immanuel, God with us.
The light came into the world out of the darkness and illuminates our world.
In the sermon on the mount, in Matthew 5, Jesus said - - -
14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.
15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.
16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
This Christmas, and even though it’s Christmas Eve and we really won’t be back out into the world until after Christmas, this can be the call in our lives. Go into the world and shine the light of Jesus so that others may see who Jesus is in you.
I really believe there’s something about that name which leads people to Jesus. I believe Jesus still grabs our hearts and spirits. We were created for a relationship with God and when we don’t have this, there’s this burning hole which longs for Jesus.
We have that God given opportunity to gently help others see Jesus in us.
Jesus is THE irresistible light. And when we are doing it right, when we show the love of Jesus, the world takes notice - - - because we become an irresistible light.
As we prepare our hearts to celebrate the birth of Jesus, let’s ask ourselves, ‘Are we reflecting the light of Jesus in our lives?’
Again, Jesus said, “You are the light of the world.” If you are a follower of Jesus, you are the light of the world. Not, you will be or hopefully you might be. No, you are the light. You are God’s representatives on earth. You are the hands and feet of Jesus in a hurting world.
Let us hold to the fact that Jesus, the Christ, Immanuel, God with us - - isn’t just a Christmas hope. It’s a reality. Jesus is with me and you, everyday, on the good ones and not so good ones. He’s promised never to abandon us, never to leave us, never to give up on us. That’s why He sent His Son!
Everyday we have an opportunity to shine His light. Lives will be transformed, communities changed – – and the world is made a better place. Tonight and every day, let’s make the decision to shine His light.
