A few years ago, there was a significant effort in the media and among some government leaders to erase any mention of “Christmas” from this season of the year and replace it with “Season’s Greetings” or “Happy Holidays.”
Of course, many did not go along with that and still firmly proclaim that “Jesus is the reason for the Season!” Then, we heard President Trump say that as far as he was concerned, saying “Merry Christmas” was perfectly acceptable again.
When U.S. Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch was interviewed on TV, he began the interview by saying “Merry Christmas” to his interviewer. She reciprocated by wishing him a “Merry Christmas.”
Gorsuch received a torrent of abuse for saying those two words. One commentator called his Christmas greeting a “Republican talking point” and demanded he be removed from being a Supreme Court Justice. Another wrote of “the horror of a Supreme Court justice saying ‘Merry Christmas.’” And another emailed that he “felt like dousing his face in acid after hearing the words, ‘Merry Christmas.’” - It’s a sick world!
Christmas marks the birth-day of our Lord Jesus Christ, and we celebrate His coming into the world as God in the flesh, our Emmanuel, "God with us."
As Christmas approaches, we recall the account of Jesus’ birth and the prophetic predictions of His coming. The gospel writer Matthew quoted Isaiah the prophet to affirm His conception and birth to the virgin (Matthew 1:23; Isaiah 7:14). The same writer affirms Micah’s prediction of the birthplace as Bethlehem (Matthew 2:6; Micah 5:2) and confirms God’s providence in the round-about-way the family arrived in the little town of Bethlehem. As a side note, “Bethlehem” means “House of Bread” in Hebrew. It is an appropriate birthplace for the “Bread of Life that comes down from heaven” (John 6:51).
The shepherds who received the angelic announcement of Christ's birth responded with the same reactions we did when we discovered Him. Let’s read Luke 2:10-20 (NKJV).
10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
14 “Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
15 So it was when the angels had gone away from them into heaven that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. 17 Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. 18 And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.
The shepherds’ first reaction is a sense of fear and awe. No doubt, they felt trepidation with the angel’s appearance. Others in scripture have reacted similarly to this daunting presence. Yet, the angel attempts to calm them by announcing the good news of great joy – not intimidation! Not only do the shepherds experience the angelic spokesman, but they also hear the heavenly chorus singing of the glory of God! What an incredible experience for them!
We, too, have a sense of fear and awe when we encounter the living God’s Son. We are amazed at who He is. As we take in His reality, we feel intimidation, as Isaiah did when he saw the vision of the LORD in the temple. When he saw the holiness of God, he cried out:
“Woe is me, for I am undone!
Because I am a man of unclean lips,
And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips;
For my eyes have seen the King,
The LORD of hosts.”
By comparison to the LORD, in our uncleanness, our righteousness is as “filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6), and we cannot stand before Him. Thankfully, Jesus came to bring peace and goodwill. That is the grace we need to be reconciled to God and one another.
The second reaction came when the angels ascended back to heaven. The shepherds went from fear to faith and were unsatisfied with hearing the news. They went to investigate the matter for themselves. This is essential for all of us. We might hear about Jesus and His accomplishments from others, but He wants each of us to know Him. That only happens when we examine Him.
The apostle Thomas missed seeing the risen Jesus with his fellow followers. When they told him of their experience, he said:
So he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.
Thomas wanted to experience for himself what his fellow disciples had. Jesus permitted it eight days later when the group gathered. He gave Thomas the opportunity to touch His spear-pierced side and nail-scarred hands.
It is always good to question the answers we get regardless of who is speaking. The Bereans heard the apostle Paul and still searched the scriptures to see if he was telling the truth about Jesus (Acts 17:11). We gain a sense of satisfaction and confidence when we examine Jesus for ourselves as the shepherds did.
The third reaction came after the shepherds had examined the situation. They did not simply go about their business in silence. They told others the good news they first received from the angel and had seen for themselves.
When we come face-to-face with Jesus, our usual response is to tell our experience. Most new converts cannot contain themselves and have to tell. Over time, that urge diminishes for some reason, but the first love is powerful.
When Jesus told the apostles to go among the nations and make disciples, they went with the fresh encounters of His resurrection and presence. He was more than their rabbi. He was the Lord and Messiah! Paul would later speak of his compulsion to preach and say, “Woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!”
We are not guaranteed that everyone we tell of Jesus will respond favorably. We have the opportunity to tell, and the Holy Spirit will work on people's hearts in conjunction with our sharing of the good news.
The fourth reaction came when the shepherds returned to their jobs with a worshipful attitude. They got glimpses into the eternal nature and purpose of God that night. They could only respond with a deep reverence toward the God of creation and salvation.
When Isaiah volunteered to go to his people with God’s words, the LORD gave him a sobering message for the people:
“Go, and tell this people: ‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’ 10 “Make the heart of this people dull, And their ears heavy, And shut their eyes; Lest they see with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart, And return and be healed.”
Thankfully, with the right heart toward God, we can hear and understand, see and perceive. Our lives change when we encounter God, His Son, His Spirit, and His word. As the shepherds, our focus is on God where it belongs.
Benjamin Franklin reminds us of our duties linked to Jesus’ coming. He wrote:
How many observe Christ's birthday! How few, his precepts! O! 'tis easier to keep holidays than commandments.
John Quincy Adams saw the Christian connection between God and America. Our nation’s foundation was not built on the philosophies of wise men in the chambers of Congress but on the word of God. He declared:
In the chain of human events, the birthday of the nation is indissolubly linked with the birthday of the Savior. The Declaration of Independence laid the cornerstone of human government upon the first precepts of Christianity.
As we approach the day, we honor the birth of our Savior. Let’s go beyond gift-giving, feasts, and vacations. Let’s faithfully:
• Hear and see the message of the Savior’s birth;
• Confirm the word by examining it for ourselves;
• Tell others about the coming One and
• Worship God daily, knowing Him and the power of His resurrection (Philippians 3:10).
Let’s Keep The Light of Knowing Jesus Burning!
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