It is always a joy to watch children at Christmas time. Christmas morning never seems to come soon enough. Children (at any age) can become very anxious.
Mankind has always looked forward to Christmas.
Do you know who were the first to get excited about Christmas before it took place? Think about it.
It was prophets from the Old Testament that first started counting down the days.
Men like Daniel, Jeremiah, Isaiah and Micah.
They foretold of the coming of the baby, Jesus Christ. One of the prophets even knew where the baby, Jesus, would be born. He was to be born in Bethlehem.
The prophets of the Old Testament said:
· This baby would come to save the world from sin.
· This world of darkness would be given the Light that would shine forever.
· This little baby would bring peace to a world in tumult, destruction and chaos.
These prophets of the Old Testament started counting down the days until Christmas some 800 years before the first Christmas morning.
For 800 hundred years, the boys and girls, men and women all over the world waited for the promise of the Christ child to be born. That’s a long time.
These prophecies & promises were all but forgotten.
Many generations of God’s people had come and gone. Most people had given up on there ever being a Christmas morning. Until Jesus was born, there was very little peace and joy to be found in the world.
Prior to the book of Luke, there was little hope left for the birth a King who would come to save the world.
For 800 hundred years, the world waited in darkness.
But there was a promise of the Light (Jesus Christ) given by the prophet Isaiah Isaiah 9:2:
The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined.
The earth waited for God to bring joy and peace, and to shine His eternal Light down out of heaven.
Then at long last, in Luke chapter 2, God sent an angel to pronounce to the world the arrival of the King!
Text: Luke 2:8 thru 14
Prayer:
John 1:1-5
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 He was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.
4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
Genesis 1- God’s Word spoke creation into existence.
Luke 2 - God’s Word would once again speak and the Word gave birth to the babe, Jesus.
In our text, the angel of the Lord spoke in vs. 10 & 11:
“…Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be TO ALL PEOPLE.
"For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord…”
Luke chapter 2 was not going to be another prophecy given by God from the Old Testament. This would be:
· The new beginning.
· The declaration to the world of the long awaited fulfillment of all of the prophecies.
All of the prophecies of the coming of Jesus were over.
Christmas is here! The promise was finally fulfilled.
The Old Testament promise of the Savior was born!
The Light had finally come to the world!
We should remember that Christmas is not about a certain day in which we all exchange gifts and eat lavish lunches. Nor, is about the day of December 25th.
The specific birth date of the Christ child is not what is important. December 25th is not any more important than any other day from the year. This Tuesday will not be any more important than today, the Lord’s-day.
I don’t want to be the Grinch who steals your Christmas Spirit, but there really is nothing in the Bible that tells us to celebrate the traditions of Christmas, as we do.
While Jesus walked the earth, He gave us things we are to do. Such as,
1. Communion…”take and eat…do this in remembrance of me…”
2. Salvation…”repent and baptized…everyone of you.”
I enjoy and celebrate Christmas as much as anyone.
I do so simply because I love the Prince of Peace.
It is my favorite time of the year.
But the traditions of the holiday can consume any of us, and distract us from the perfection and reality of the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus.
Let us rejoice in what the Word of God has spoken to make Christmas what it should be:
“Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.”
I. THE BIRTH OF CHRIST SHOULD BE THE SUBJECT OF GREAT JOY.
We were told this by the angels. Although we are of more concern to God than the angels are, it is the angels who first rejoiced on our behalf.
The angels have a great and loving concern in everything that affects us.
They rejoice over us –
· When we repent
· When we are saved
· When we draw nigh unto God.
But picture (for a moment) what happened just before the birth of the Savior –
We know that the heavenly host of angels had been accustomed to ministering to the “God-head” throughout all eternity. That was (and still is) their job.
That is, until the very moment of the birth of Christ.
It was then that they turned and looked in the opposite direction of Father God, of Whom they are adoring, and they see for the first time the Word of God is made flesh to dwell among all men.
There is an heavenly distraction that has summoned all of their attention. Father God noticed this distraction but is not upset at the angels. He simply smiles for a moment as the angels are overwhelmed at what has taken place in Bethlehem.
All of the angels begin to rejoice with the exception of one of them. One of the angels of the Lord makes a sudden dash for earth to announce to all what has happened. This angel out runs the other angels.
The angel hurries to the field (near Bethlehem) where there are shepherds keeping their flock by night.
This particular angel arrives before the other angels, and with him comes the GLORY OF THE LORD.
The arrival of the first angel is completely unexpected and powerful. The angel makes the first proclamation of the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ.
"Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people…”
The other angels arrive right behind the first angel
This is a heavenly host, a choir of angels.
They begin to proclaim the birth of the new-born King. They are filled with holy joy and adoration.
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”
Let me ask you a few questions:
1. If the birth of Jesus was such a great moment of praise to the angels, what should it be to us?
2. If the birth of Jesus made the angels rejoice who were not lost and dieing in this world of, why shouldn’t it make us leap for joy?
3. If the birth of Jesus Christ brought the heavenly chorus down to earth, shouldn’t we be singing our songs so that all heaven could hear us?
4. If the birth of Jesus emptied all heaven of it’s angels on Christmas morning, shouldn’t all of our thoughts and praises (everything we have) be sent up to the gates of heaven?
Christmas Carol – “Joy to the World…” verse one-
Joy to the World! The Lord is come:
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart Prepare Him room,
And heaven and nature sing
And heaven and nature sing!
When I think of that nativity scene with Joseph and Mary, the shepherds and the wise men, I can only see the greatest gift of all. GOD’S GIFT TO YOU!
At Christmas I love seeing the traditional Christmas tree with all of the ornaments and lights celebrating the birth of Jesus. But I also see another tree that belongs to Christ. The Tree of Calvary where he laid down His sweet life as the ransom for our sins.
How fitting it is when we see the third verse of “Joy to the World.”
No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground,
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found!
Far as the curse is found!
We know Him as the Babe in the manger. But we should know Him as the Savior that came to die for us.
At birth He was dressed in rags so that we might know that He was as common as we are.
He came to us in humility and so became majesty.
Psalms 139 tells us that He was and is
“…acquainted with all our ways.”
II. TO WHOM DOES THIS JOY BELONG?
The real joy of Christmas and the birth of Christ belongs to those who tell it. As it was for the angels who
proclaimed it, so should it be for us.
The question is this. Do you want the Joy of Christmas?
Then do as the:
1. Heavenly host did. Proclaim the birth of Christ to all of the world!
2. Shepherds did. Leave your fields of labor and worship the King of Kings
3. Wise Men did. Bring of your best to give to the King.
