A Christmas Reality Check
Luke 2:1-7
The Christmas of today is very different than the first Christmas:
Today: The manger scene usually includes angels hovering, shepherds watching, animals gazing, clean straw, a strong looking Joseph, a vulnerable yet invincible baby, a halo over Mary’s head, a beautiful moon rising…everything is just perfect!
Back then: That first Christmas was anything but perfect – think through the story:
• Mary, a non-married pregnant young woman is engaged to Joseph who was totally crushed by the news because he knew he wasn’t the father
• They had to walk from Nazareth to Bethlehem- some 50 miles – to go pay some taxes- that’s a nice reason to take a walking vacation when your girlfriend is 9 months pregnant and perhaps a little cranky – remember, Mary wasn’t perfect…just special…like you and me
• Joseph failed to call ahead and make motel reservations…they were homeless for the night – they end up in a barn yard – a cave of some type where Mary painfully goes into labor without sedatives or a doctor and gives birth to a son – the very Son of God, Jesus Christ
• The first bed for our Savior was a manager, a feeding trough for animals…unsanitary, maybe a little smelly, not very private…yet that is where God choose to initiate a new relationship with mankind…a “get-down-to-where-we-live” kind of relationship
• Then crazy King Herod, who reminds me of Saddam Hussein, orders the killing of all boys who are age 2 and younger in an attempt to assassinate Jesus Christ…so Joseph and Mary and little Jesus are on the run- fugitives in Egypt.
So we have two pictures: One that glamorizes
Christmas and the other that is a Reality Check.
Life is sometimes like that – in fact Life is almost always like that!!
*Boyhood Dreams – pro athlete, pilot, invent something, make lots of money –
Then Reality Sets In
*Perfect woman – and when she’s not & we’re not- Reality Sets In
*Happy Family – disappointments, divorce, disrespect from the kids
Reality Sets In
*Great Opportunities – something goes wrong and your actions or those of someone else puts you in a hard place, difficult circumstances, or life feels like a relational and emotional prison…
Life - Real Life Is a Reality Check - And what we do with that Reality Check is up to us- but it will affect us for Eternity!!
Now, consider some obvious truths of our Christmas Reality Check:
1. God Gets Involved in the Lives of People who Listen to Him
Joseph & Mary are engaged to be married – Luke 1 – God sent an angel to Mary and he said something like, “Guess what? You’re going to get pregnant before you get married!”
And Mary said “No I’m not”
And he said, “Oh yes you are”.
And she said, “I will not! I’m a Virgin & will be until my wedding night.”
Angel "Mary, you don’t understand. If you are willing and if you say yes to a Miracle from God, you will give birth to the Savior of the world. Mary - - you will still be a virgin.”
As she tried to understand what the Angel was saying – he spoke again: “Mary, listen to me: You have a heart for God and He has decided to show His favor to you in a special way: He has chosen you for an incredible miracle. In just a short time you will be miraculously and instantly pregnant with the Son of God - who will save His people from their sins.”
As you can imagine - this was hard to believe - but soon the obvious signs of pregnancy began to confirm what the angel said. The tough part was to convince Joseph. Think about Joseph. In Matthew chapter 1 – When Mary finally told Joseph, he was Shocked – Angry – Blown away – Hurt – Mad – Probably Depressed…
*He decided to break off their engagement and walk away – it would be embarrassing & tough to do… but he couldn’t trust her after this – especially when she’s fantasizing about angels and all…
Then God speaks to Joseph - probably through the same Angel that Mary told Joseph about…and there’s something within Joe that believes what the angel said. His shock melts away, his anger is dissipated, his hurt is healed, his depression turns to hope.
All of that to make the first Christmas Reality Check Clear:
God Gets Involved in the Lives of People who Listen to Him -
If and when we Listen to God and accept His truth, God can do Miracles in us and for us and even through us. But we have to Listen to Him – and His Word – and His Truth and let it change us – let it make us more like Him. If we will do that, there is no limit to what God can do in and through us.
2. God will go to great lengths to see that His Will is done when we cooperate with Him.
It was prophesied in the OT that Bethlehem would be the birth place of Christ – might be tough for this couple to get there but God said ‘go’ pay your taxes. This is amazing: 700 hundreds years before the event, one of God’s OT prophets wrote that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2).
God coordinated events to make sure it happened. What did he have to coordinate? The people involved, angelic announcements,exact timing with a pregnancy & a birth, and a government policy.
Since God is so good at coordinating history and the events that affect peoples lives for the good, what is it that He wants to coordinate in our lives that will bring about good? What does God want to do in you so you can accomplish His will? What is He willing to do – sometimes naturally and sometimes miraculously – to bring about what is best in us? God will go to great lengths to see that His Will is done in us when we cooperate with Him - when we Surrender – when we are willing to follow and relax in His Plan. When we Trust God and Submit our thoughts and our plans to Him He can do amazing things!
3. God wants to relate to all types of people & He will use them if they respond to Him.
Shepherds – poverty level workers – not well respected – could not testify in court – Yet God choose to invite the Shepherds to go and see Jesus before anyone else went…not the Mayor, or Governor nor the rich & well to due people of Bethlehem. Can you imagine how special that made these guys feel? These men who were looked down on by most people in that day were given a special invitation by a band of Angels for heavens sake…to go and see the very Son of God only hours after he had been born. Wow!!
How often do some of us feel like we’re just a Big Zero!???
Worthless- Invaluable – A Big Nothing – A Loser –
If there’s anything that this part of the Christmas story says is that we are Valuable – Important – Worth something – There are no Zeroes with God!! Take a check for $200 – that’s a nice amount, but you can spend it really quick…gas, food, pay a bill or two & it’s all gone. But if you add just one Zero to it- all of a sudden you have $2,000!! God adds value to our lives when we respond to Him…if we Don’t Respond to Him and His truth…life can reduce us to nothing!! Saddam Hussein is an unforgettable illustration of that…
4. God is looking for Men who will provide protection to their family members -
Joseph a Carpenter- a regular guy - lower middle class
He was a man who understood the value of looking out for his family. He loved and protected them by depending on God. He lived a Godly life - set a good example, walked the talk, served God faithfully and it impacted his family.
5. God is God to All Mankind – Jesus can be the Savior to everyone who calls on His name.
The 3 Wise Guys- who came from afar - Kings…Scholars…Wealthy. They could relate to what God was doing…they could understand the need for Spiritual Truth- Life- The Salvation that Jesus offers and the Godly life that He can provide is not just for one kind of people- it’s not just for the poor, or uneducated, or just for the wealthy, or just for one culture over another. Jesus said “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No man comes to the Father except through me.” That’s a Reality Check…
Here’s one more Reality Check:
6. God can Overcome all kinds of Problems, Trials and Unfair Circumstances.
Joseph and Mary and the baby Jesus had to run for their lives to Egypt because of the wild rantings of the evil Herod. They became Fugitives in a foreign country when Jesus was yet a toddler. (Matt. 2)
It was a terrible time – a family on the run – hiding – looking over their shoulders – not knowing what to do next –
So they:
• Prayed for God’s protection…
• Depended on, Trusted in their Heavenly Father…
• Submitted themselves again to God’s Will…
As you know, God Overcame all of those problems & trials & unfair circumstances…just like He can do in your life and mine.
Jesus grew up in Israel and spoke spiritual truth to those who would listen. He died on the Old Rugged Cross so our sins could be forgiven and was then Resurrected on Easter to give us the power and the ability to live the way God wants us to.
• God is committed to Reality Checks!
• He can relate to the toughest things we go through
• He can give us Hope in the midst of failure
• He can change our life so it amounts to something!
• He can give us a clear cut purpose
• He can make life worth living
But we have to listen - respond – submit – follow the Teachings of Jesus Christ – repent and accept Jesus Christ as our Savior.
Pray- for Salvation and Encouragement and Involvement
