CHRISTMAS IS LOVE TUGGING HUMANITY BACK TO GOD WITH THE POWERFUL GRASP FROM A TINY HAND REACHING OUT FROM A BED OF STRAW IN A MANGER.
WHEN YOU HEAR THE WORD "CHRISTMAS" WHAT COMES TO YOUR MIND FIRST? SHOPPING MALLS AND GIFTS TO BE PURCHASED? DECORATING THE HOUSE, AND GETTING THE ALL THE CARDS IN THE MAIL? OR DO YOU THINK OF THE MANGER, MARY AND JOSEPH, WISE MEN AND THE BETHLEHEM STAR?
WHILE THE WORLD THINKS, "WHAT WILL SANTA BRING ME THIS YEAR," I WOULD RATHER BE THINKING ABOUT THE GIFT GOD HAS ALREADY DELIVERED.
I’M TALKING ABOUT A GIFT THAT CAN’T FIT UNDER A TREE BUT THE ONE THAT WILL FIT PERFECTLY INSIDE MY HEART.
THE GIFT WHICH ISAIAH SAID WOULD ALLOW US TO OBTAIN JOY AND GLADNESS. THE GIFT THAT WOULD MAKE SORROW AND SIGHING FLEE AWAY.
THE GIFT WHICH WOULD MAKE THE WILDERNESS AND DRY LANDS TO BECOME GLAD. IT WOULD CAUSE THE DESERT TO BLOSSOM WITH JOY AND SINGING.
A WONDERFUL PRESENT THAT WOULD ALLOW WEAK HANDS TO BECOME STRONG AND FEEBLE KNEES TO BE MADE FIRM AGAIN.
ONE THAT WILL MAKE FEARFUL HEARTS STRONG, BLIND EYES TO RECEIVE VISION AND DEAF EARS TO BECOME OPEN.
WHAT IS IT ABOUT THIS GIFT THAT MAKES THE LAME TO LEAP LIKE DEER AND THE TONGUES OF THE MUTE TO SING FOR JOY?
WHAT MAKES ALL THIS POSSIBLE IS THE GIFT THAT WAS WRAPPED NOT WITH SHINY PAPER AND FANCY BOWS, BUT IN REGULAR, EVERYDAY STRIPS OF CLOTH.
THE CHRIST CHILD WRAPPED IN SWADDLING CLOTHES IN THE MANGER AT BETHLEHEM IS THE GIFT THAT WAS GIVEN TO US AS A PERMANENT REMINDER OF GOD’S LOVE FOR US.
JOHN 3:16, "FOR GOD SO LOVE THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY SON, SO THAT EVERYONE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM MAY NOT PERISH BUT MAY HAVE ETERNAL LIFE."
"WHEN YOU THINK OF CHRISTMAS" THIS YEAR WILL YOU MAKE A CONSCIOUS EFFORT TO REFLECT ON JESUS CHRIST AND HIS BIRTH?
CAN WE PUT ASIDE THE HUSTLE AND BUSTLE OF THE COMMERCIAL SIDE OF THE HOLIDAY THIS YEAR? FORGET ABOUT ALL THE SWEETS THAT ARE YET TO BE BAKED. ALL THE GIFTS ON YOUR LIST THAT STILL NEED TO BE BOUGHT, ALL THE PARTIES YOU’VE BEEN INVITED TO AND THE TRIP TO ALL YOUR RELATIVES THAT STILL NEEDS TO BE MAPPED OUT?
THIS YEAR LEAVE ALL THOSE STRESSFUL WORRIES ASIDE AND THINK BACK ONCE AGAIN TO ALL THE VALUABLE LESSONS WE WE’RE TAUGHT ABOUT THE BIRTH OF CHRIST!
THE FIRST LESSON GOES ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE BEGINNING BECAUSE OF MARY’S WILLINGNESS. MARY WAS OBEDIENT TO THE CALL OF GOD THROUGH HIS ANGEL.
LUKE 1:30-33, "THE ANGEL SAID TO HER, ’DO NOT BE AFRAID, MARY, FOR YOU HAVE FOUND FAVOR WITH GOD. AND NOW, YOU WILL CONCEIVE IN YOUR WOMB AND BEAR A SON, AND YOU WILL NAME HIM JESUS. HE WILL BE GREAT, AND WILL BE CALLED THE SON OF THE MOST HIGH, AND THE LORD GOD WILL GIVE TO HIM THE THRONE OF HIS ANCESTOR DAVID. HE WILL REIGN OVER THE HOUSE OF JACOB FOREVER, AND OF HIS KINGDOM THERE WILL BE NO END.’"
WHAT AN INCREDIBLE MESSAGE FOR A TEENAGE GIRL TO THINK ABOUT! ALREADY ENGAGED TO BE MARRIED AND KNOWING FULL WELL THAT DEATH WAS THE PENALTY FOR BECOMING PREGNANT OUT OF MARRIAGE SHE ACCEPTED!
ALTHOUGH SHE DIDN’T FULLY COMPREHEND THE MAGNITUDE OF THE MESSAGE SHE TRUSTED THE LORD AND PRAISED HIM FOR CHOOSING HER FOR SUCH A MIGHTY WORK.
MARY TOLD ELIZABETH ALL ABOUT IT IN LUKE 1:46-48, "MY SOUL MAGNIFIES THE LORD, AND MY SPIRIT REJOICES IN GOD MY SAVIOR, FOR HE HAS LOOKED WITH FAVOR ON THE LOWLINESS OF HIS SERVANT. SURELY, FROM NOW ON ALL GENERATIONS WILL CALL ME BLESSED."
MARY UNDERSTOOD THAT SHE WAS JUST A VESSEL IN THE HANDS OF THE LORD TO BE USED. SHE WILLINGLY GAVE HERSELF TO GOD TO ACCOMPLISH HIS PLAN FOR THE WORLD WITHOUT ONE SINGLE COMPLAINT!
MARY, THE MOTHER OF JESUS, EXEMPLIFIED ON THAT VERY FIRST CHRISTMAS HOW WE SHOULD LIVE OUR LIVES. ALWAYS WILLING TO BE USED OF GOD…NO MATTER WHAT HE ASKS US TO DO. THE FIRST LESSON TAUGHT ABOUT THE BIRTH OF CHRIST IS MARY’S WILLINGNESS.
THE SECOND LESSON TAUGHT ABOUT THE BIRTH OF CHRIST IS BRIGHTNESS OF THE BETHLEHEM STAR. THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT THIS STAR SPARKLED MORE THAN ANY OTHER STAR IN THE SKY THAT NIGHT!
MATTHEW 2:9-10, "WHEN THEY HAD HEARD THE KING, THEY SET OUT; AND THERE, AHEAD OF THEM, WENT THE STAR THAT THEY HAD SEEN AT ITS RISING, UNTIL IT STOPPED OVER THE PLACE WHERE THE CHILD WAS. WHEN THEY SAW THAT THE STAR HAD STOPPED, THEY WERE OVERWHELMED WITH JOY."
THIS STAR WAS SO BRILLIANT THAT IT INSPIRED THE HEARTS OF THESE WISE MEN TO TRAVEL OVER TWO YEARS IN ORDER TO REACH THE CHRIST CHILD.
WHAT IS THE LESSON WE LEARN FROM THIS BRILLIANT STAR? JUST AS WE MUST BE WILLING TO BE USED BY GOD, WE MUST ALSO, LIKE THE CHRISTMAS STAR, SHINE BRIGHTLY FOR HIM IN THIS WORLD LOST IN DARKNESS.
AFTER ALL, WE ARE CALLED TO BE THE "LIGHT OF THE WORLD." MATTHEW 5:15, TELL US, "LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE BEFORE OTHERS, SO THAT THEY MAY SEE YOUR GOOD WORKS AND GIVE GLORY TO YOUR FATHER IN HEAVEN."
NO MATTER WHAT IS GOING ON AROUND US - WE ARE TO SHINE AS A BEACON OF LIGHT TO THE WORLD. WE MUST SPARKLE WITH THE HOPE, LOVE, AND PEACE OF JESUS CHRIST. THE SECOND LESSON TAUGHT ABOUT THE BIRTH OF CHRIST IS BRIGHTNESS OF THE BETHLEHEM STAR.
THE THIRD LESSON TAUGHT ABOUT THE BIRTH OF CHRIST IS THE QUICK RESPONSE OF THE SHEPHERDS. CAN WE REKINDLE THE EXCITEMENT FOR DOING THE LORD’S WORK?
LUKE 2:15-16, "WHEN THE ANGELS HAD LEFT THEM AND GONE INTO HEAVEN, THE SHEPHERDS SAID TO ONE ANOTHER, ’LETS US GO NOW TO BETHLEHEM AND SEE THIS THING THAT HAS TAKEN PLACE, WHICH THE LORD HAS MADE KNOWN TO US.’ SO THEY WENT WITH HASTE AND FOUND MARY AND JOSEPH, AND THE CHILD LYING IN THE MANGER."
IMAGINE THE HEART-STOPPING SCENE THAT BLOSSOMED AMONGST THE STARS THAT NIGHT ACROSS THE WIDE OPEN PASTURES AS THE ANGELS APPEARED IN THE HEAVENS.
IN THE STILLNESS THE HEAVENS EXPLODE IN THE CHORUS OF "GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST, AND ON EARTH, PEACE, GOOD WILL TOWARD MEN."
AFTER 400 YEARS OF WAITING THE ANGEL OF THE LORD TELLS THEM THAT THE MESSIAH HAS BEEN BORN AND THEY CAN GO SEE HIM IN BETHLEHEM THIS VERY MOMENT.
THEY COULD HAVE STUCK AROUND TO GATHER UP THEIR SHEEP THAT MORE THAN LIKELY WERE SCATTERED ALL OVER THE PLACE BECAUSE OF THE ANGELS, BUT THEY DIDN’T!
THEY WASTED NO TIME AT ALL WHICH TELLS ME THEY PROBABLY FORGOT ALL ABOUT THE SHEEP. THEY COULDN’T WAIT TO SEE THE MESSIAH WHOSE COMING HAD BEEN PREDICTED FOR CENTURIES BY THE PROPHETS.
IN THE SAME WAY WE SHOULD BE JUST AS QUICK TO FOLLOW THE LORD! IT SHOULD BE OUR DESIRE EACH AND EVERY DAY TO LIVE FOR HIM AND SO HIS WILL.
HE IS THE SAME LORD AND SAVIOR THAT CAUSE THE SHEPHERDS SUCH JOY AND JUBILATION. DON’T YOU THINK JESUS STILL DESERVES THE SAME DEPTH OF JOY FROM US TODAY? THE THIRD LESSON TAUGHT ABOUT THE BIRTH OF CHRIST IS THE QUICK RESPONSE OF THE SHEPHERDS.
THE FOURTH AND FINAL LESSON TAUGHT ABOUT THE BIRTH OF CHRIST IS THE UNSELFISHNESS OF THE WISE MEN. WHEN THE WISE MEN CAME TO SEE JESUS PRESENTED HIM WITH BEAUTIFUL AND PRICELESS GIFTS.
MATTHEW 2:11, "ON ENTERING THE HOUSE, THEY SAW THE YOUNG CHILD WITH MARY HIS MOTHER; AND THEY FELL DOWN AND WORSHIPPED HIM. WHEN THE OPENED THEIR TREASURE CHESTS, THEY PRESENTED HIM GIFTS OF GOLD, FRANKINCENSE, AND MYRRH."
THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT WE SHOULD DO! NOT LITERAL GOLD, FRANKINCENSE, AND MYRRH, BUT THE BEST OF THE BEST WE HAVE AT OUR DISPOSAL TO GIVE!
WE CAN GIVE GOD OUR TIME, OUR TALENTS, OUR FINANCES, AND OUR BEST EFFORT. ALL THIS AND MORE IS WHAT GOD DESIRES AND THIS IS WHAT HE DESERVES. THE FOURTH AND FINAL LESSON TAUGHT ABOUT THE BIRTH OF CHRIST IS THE UNSELFISHNESS OF THE WISE MEN.
ALL I ASK OF YOU TO DO THIS CHRISTMAS IS TO TAKE A SMALL PORTION OF YOUR BUSY SCHEDULE EACH DAY TO REFLECT AND REMEMBER THE TRUE MEANING BEHIND THE "CHRIST" THAT ’S IN THE WORD "CHRISTMAS."
WHEN YOU THINK OF CHRISTMAS THIS YEAR JUST REMEMBER THAT RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF ALL THE SHOPPING MALLS, THE VARIOUS SHAPES AND SIZES OF SANTA CLAUS, THE GIFTS, AND DECORATIONS LIES THE INCREDIBLE GIFT GOD GAVE TO US. A GIFT THAT CONTAINS THE BIRTH, LIFE, DEATH AND RESURRECTION OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.
