LK 2:8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
LK 2:13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
LK 2:14 "Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."
LK 2:15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."
LK 2:16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
Why celebrate??
Today millions all over planet earth celebrate Christmas.
Millions apon millions will spend billions and billions on gifts – decorations – alcohol and many variations simply to celebrate Christmas.
We will discus the means of his birth the miracle of it’s prediction and the heavenly interruption in human history. But will we grasp the importance of the moment the effect of His birth on human history.
In many ways people will say we are celebrating the coming of Jesus as King and saviour of the world – God with us - He came to bring us peace.
All of that is correct.
But sometimes I wonder if we have really got to the heart of the cause of celebration.
I want for a moment to go down a different path.
Here is a story – not true – from the American Wild West.
The Wild West Bandit Wild Bert Marshall rode carefully into the small Western town of Dodge.
Shouts and laughter were erupting from the centre of town.
Gunshots were fired into the air.
“Yeeha” shouted a cowboy as he rode up to Wild Bert “Guess what stranger? They just hung that terrible villan who terrorised all the stage coaches round here!!!”
“Who was that cowboy/” Asked wild Bert.
“Ya’ll never guess stranger – So I’ll tell ya.”
“It was not Jesse James - it was none other that the dirty lowlife – miserable villan Wild Bert Marshall – yup we caught him creeping into town disguised as a preacher.
Would you believe that??”
“”Well no I wouldn’t – You say you killed a preacher??” asked Wild Bert who had gone terribly white.
“Yup.” Replied the cowboy – “Say you gone a little white – Hey – you look the dead ringer of that dead bandit that we just hung. Who are you??”
“I’m Wild Bert Marshall the dirty lowlife – miserable villan – you just hung my identical twin brother – the preacher – He has died in my place – It’s not fair it should have been me.”
“Golly stranger – that man who died on the tree – he has died in your place – they won’t hang two men – I hate to say it but the sherriff shore will – You will be free to go. Don’t seem fair really.”
Improbable story???
I guess it could happen.
In many ways it is a parable.
A parable of what happened two thousand years ago.
Two thousand years ago – Jesus Christ entered town – Bethlehem was the town and he came in remarkable circumstances.
About 33 years later he was hung on a tree made into a cross punished because of the sins committed by his Brothers and sisters.
MK 3:33 "Who are my mother and my brothers?" he asked.
MK 3:34 Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother."
Can I ask a question – Who did Jesus come to earth for?
The answer :
John chapter 6: 38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day.
JN 9:39 Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind."
Jesus reason for coming should provide vital clues as to why there should be a celebration regarding his birth.
He came to do God’s will.
He came that he should lose none of all God has given him but raise them up at the last day.
In other words if you are a genuine follower of Jesus Christ he came for you.
He came for the express purpose of rescuing anyone who will respond to him and his message.
All of this helps put the cause of celebration into perspective.
It becomes very personal like the little story above.
Jesus considers those who do God’s will his brothers and sisters members of his family.
That makes Christmas very personal, very relevant for our lives.
Not only that but Jesus – dies in our place for the crimes or sins we have committed.
You might consider beginning with the cross is a strange way to consider Christmas. But sometimees we secularise Christmas by largely ignoring the reasonn for it. The saving of our lives from an eternity without God.
When you look into the cradle of a new born baby you want to believe in a wonderful future you want to believe that his life counts for something.
When you look into the Christmas cradle of Jesus Christ you know the future of this baby.
You know at about 33 years of age he is going to die a sad and unjust death.
It seems pointlesss and meaningless until you realise that everything in his life and his death has incredible impact and is packed with power backed by an incredible love.
But Jesus life – achieves more than anyone else has achieved in two or even three times that time.
Years ago people used to say never discus religion or politics.
One of the reasons for this was – one people could not agree and also they feared the subject because it raised serious issues about eternity.
But the birth of Jesus removes all such fears for those who earnestly follow him.
When the angels appeared to the shepherds the shepherds became afraid. The angel said; "Fear not." About eighty times in the Old Testament and the New Testament God and His messengers say to fearful people: "Fear not." And in all cases a reason for not fearing is given immediately. Here the angel says: "Because I bring you good news." Once on the Sea of Galilee Jesus said to His disciples: "Fear not,it is I." God never merely says: "Do not be afraid." He always tells us why we should not be afraid.
A real reason is given here for celebrating Christmas.
What it means is that there is no cause for fear.
People can live life in a cutting edge way because God has removed the fear of death – as long as they do the will of God with their lives.
It actually means that we can live in Christian community – live out the purposes of God for our lives without fear.
It means that we can live the adventures that God puts before us without worrying about what will happen to us because we know that it is part of God’s plan.
We can also celebrate the fact that God loves us.
When you stare into the manger this Christmas you can know that God has not forgotten us he has remembered our situation of being cut off from him and his purposes and has sent Jesus to save us.
Jesus birth is by far the greatest act of love in world history. There has never been and never will be a greater act of love short of His coming again.
There is an incredible truth hidden in the well known verse John chapter 3 and verse 16 – For God so loved the world that he sent His only begotten son.
This is the greatest love the world has ever seen.
Further the birth of Jesus in incredible poverty gives us a model
How to live.
Jesus became poor so that we might be rich. II Corinthians 8:9. He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death. Philippians 2:6-7. He came to serve us. Mark 10:45. He
still serves us. Matthew 28:20. He will still serve us in heaven. Luke 12:37. What a wonderful Savior He is! What a wonderful example He is! If I wish to be first in the kingdom, I must become like Jesus, last, servant of all.Matthew 20:26-28. The work of the church is to preach the Gospel and to serve people, as did Jesus.
Many were waiting for a Messiah that would come with all the trappings of power and glory. Instead, Messiah came wrapped in swaddling clothes – strips of cloth - just tatters really. Instead of a grand palace –Jesus came into the world through a stable and used a feeding trough for a bassinette. Instead of a mighty warrior –Jesus came as a Baby, needing to be fed and changed.
Doesn’t that encourage you when you feel that the situations you face are not easy??
Shouldn’t that show us that our situation is not impossible?
When you feel that you are in a difficult situation when you feel that your back is against the wall because you are unable to change things/ It is then you can think of the little baby who changed the world for our sake.
Can I summarise
God wants us to know He loves us and has come to our aid in the person of Jesus Christ.
God gives us an incredible example of humility in the baby Jesus – curiously alone in the stable – surrounded by shepherds and wisemen and loving parents but separated from the perfection and holiness of heaven. How humble to come into our midst in such lowly circumstances.
God wants us to know He is prepared to be that humble.
What he wants us to do is to respond in like kind
To love as he has loved us.
To share the good news that he has bought us.
To be humble to have the heart of a servant.
To be prepared to go in and bat for the undeserving – the sinfull – and the unlovable. Or, to put it another way, to do the will of God.
If we do these things and do them often even when no one is looking we will truly be able to celebrate Christmas.
jgullick@xtra.co.nz
