After a man visited the Holy land, he described his experience. He was turned off by the commercialism. Years later he took a second trip to the Holy Land, and he looked past the commercialism to focus on the places of Bible history. He was thinking more about being in the places Jesus walked. Taught and prayed.
It is interesting for me that I had a similar experience on my two visits to the Holy Land. On the first visit I remember being so disappointed that at the tomb of Lazarus merchants were selling souvenirs. The guide did not share our faith and he could not understand why a cathedral built on the spot that could have been where the angel made an announcement to Mary was not meaningful for me.
On my second trip the guide shared our evangelical faith and knew we were more concerned about Biblical history than shrines. A different approach to the Holy Land brought a different perspective. The second trip was much more meaningful.
Where we put our focus at Christmas can change our experience. How we approach Christmas will determine what we get out of the Christmas season. Will Christmas be a burden, with all the activities and responsibilities or will it be a time to celebrate the savior coming to earth.
We are about to look at how different individuals approached Christmas. One of them took the wrong approach and looked past the significance and in the process brought about much destruction. The other two with the right approach to Christmas received a tremendous blessing at the first Christmas.
The wrong approach to Christmas is when you are worrying about yourself. In our thinking about Christmas the one who represents the most anti-Christmas spirit is mean old Mr. Scrooge. The Bible portrays a real-life anti-Christmas antagonist that makes Scrooge seem nice. That ultimate wrong approach to Christmas figure is King Herrod.
He is called Herod the Great, but we use the term great very loosely. There is no Christmas story that could create a villain so low and so afraid of loosing power than this man Herod. On the surface Herod did seem to be great.
Herod was ruler of Judea and he professed to be a Jew. He even rebuilt the Jewish temple in Jerusalem. The temple was envisioned under King David and then built under King Solomon. After the destruction of the temple, it was rebuilt by Zerubbabel as we read in the book of Ezra. The second temple was again destroyed and rebuilt by King Herod. That is what you see when you go to Jerusalem and visit the wailing wall. It is the part of the temple Herod built that is still standing.
As Herod was rebuilding the temple to God of Israel in Jerusalem he was building temples to pagan gods in other places. We see his true colors when the Magi came to Jerusalem.
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” (Matthew 2:1-2)
The phrase “King of the Jews” caught Herod’s attention. Because of this Herod, in all his false piety, called together the chief priests and teachers to ask them where the Messiah would be born. In Bethlehem they answered.
When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:
6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel. (Matthew 2:3-6)
Herod pretended that he wanted to worship the child. He sent the Magi to Bethlehem and then they were to come back and report to him about the situation.
Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him. (Matthew 2:7-8)
Who could doubt Herod’s sincerity? After all wasn’t he financing the rebuilding of the Jewish temple? There are some major signals that Herod did not want to worship Jesus. There were major red flags when Herod said he wanted to know the precise location of where Jesus was so he could worship Jesus.
Herod had killed his own family members. If he imagined in some way, they threatened his throne he killed them. He killed his own wife and boys because they were a perceived threat to him.
The Magi did not know this about the Herod. They were from the east. The Magi were warned in a dream that they were not to go back to Herod. When the Magi did not come back to give information to Herod, he was furious. He knew the time of the birth of Jesus so what would he do?
Herod would order to have all the babies two years or less killed in Bethlehem. Jesus’ parents escaped with him to Egypt. They stayed in Egypt until Herod died. Historians report that even a few days before his death Herod had another of his sons killed.
Herod killed the members of his family. Herod killed the boys of Bethlehem. We even find from historians that when Herod died, he left orders for many leading men of the area to be put to death so that there would be genuine morning at the time of his death.
All of this about Herod is why the Christmas figure of a scrooge or the Christmas grinch could not compare to the depraved low of tyrannical King Herod. The son who did survive him and take Herod’s place was Herod Antipas and he is the one responsible for the killing of John the Baptist and the crucifixion of Jesus.
Here was Herod so concerned about any threat to his throne, about being great, he never experienced the joy the first Christmas morning. Because of his approach he missed the significance of that first Christmas morning. It all took place right around him and he missed it.
It was his pride and fear that not only caused him to miss the significance of the coming Messiah, but it destroyed him. What a shame when people approach Christmas with such selfish pride that they miss the good news of great joy that is for them.
There are those who are so concerned about their position in life that their worship is phony like king Herod who said he wanted to worship Jesus. Their real concern is making a name for themselves.
It is tragic when we approach Christmas concerned about reigning as king of our own lives and not giving Christ his proper place as King. It is the wrong approach to Christmas when we do not authentically worship Jesus. We miss the great significance of Christmas when we do not put Jesus on the throne of our lives.
In contrast to Herrod is the Anna who worshipped Jesus that first Christmas. Anna was a widow 84 years old and spent all her working hours worshiping God in the temple.
There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 38 Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. (Luke 2:36-38)
Here is the importance of a widow lady. The great king missed the Messiah, but this widow had the right approach to Christmas. That is how you run the race of life to this end, like with widow Anna. She was doing the right thing to the end. Anna was about the appointed task.
Her name appropriately means “grace”. Anna is the Greek translation of the Hebrew name Hannah. She was part of the godly remnant looking forward to Israel’s Messiah. Now what could be a better way to approach that first Christmas. This woman worshipped night and day praying to God.
When she was Jesus, who was eight days old at the time, she certainly recognized him. She had a spiritual discernment. Her response was to tell others, Christ is here!
Christmas is a time for worship. It is much more than giving and receiving presents. It is more than trees and lights. It goes beyond favorite foods and spending time with family. It is a time to concentrate on God and worship. When Christmas becomes hectic and materialistic try approaching Christmas like Anna did.
Even more than that tell others the Christ has come, like Anna did. People are receptive to here about Christ at Christmas time. The Christmas season gives us a unique opportunity in sharing Christ.
Another approach to Christmas was that on Simeon.
Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:
29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you may now dismiss your servant in peace.
30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,
31 which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and the glory of your people Israel.” (Luke 2:25-32)
Simeon was a devout and righteous man. The Holy Spirit revealed to him that he would not die until he saw the Messiah. The Holy Spirit directed him to the temple when Joseph and Mary were there to carry out the rituals of the law.
Simeon looked upon Jesus and said, “My eyes have seen your salvation.” Only now could he die in peace. Simeon had what many of us need at Christmas, which is the patience to wait on God and His timing. Simeon waited to see the savior.
The priests at the temple must have been dumbfounded. They most likely did not know this was the awaited Messiah, but Simeon did. What would the priests who would circumcise Jesus and perform the rituals make of this man Simeon holding Jesus and declaring that he was salvation for the Gentiles. The priests could not even conceive that God was going to save the gentiles.
Simeon held the baby Jesus eight days old and said, “I have seen my savior.”
The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.” (Luke 2:33:35)
Joseph and Mary marveled at what Simeon was saying. They were amazing words, but he added a sword will pierce your own soul too. They would be devastated when the religious leaders crucified their baby boy (held now by Simeon), on the cross 33 years later.
Jesus came to save people from their sins. There is a matter of individual responsibility to come to Jesus by faith. You must come to Christ in humility. Simeon is the example of one who wats for the coming Messiah as God promised.
We wait for the second coming of Christ. We are to live our lives waiting for the second advent. It is too easy for tinsel, fancy wrapping paper and shopping to capture all of our attention at Christmas. Don’t miss the real significance of Christmas. Christ came to save sinners. This is the good news of exceeding great joy.
This Christmas have the right approach. The attention goes to Jesus Christ who came born in a manger to save us from our sin. Come to this Christmas looking at the pure and beautiful Christmas story that the Bible portrays.
There is still time to have the right approach to Christmas. We can be like Anna worshipping night and day praying to God and awaiting the savior Jesus Christ. We can be like Simeon who looked on Jesus and saw salvation to the ends of the earth.
