Where It’s Winter But Never Christmas:
Do You Hear What I Hear
Advent Series 2005
Matthew 1:18-21 (NLT)
Now this is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant by the Holy Spirit. [19] Joseph, her fiancé, being a just man, decided to break the engagement quietly, so as not to disgrace her publicly.
[20] As he considered this, he fell asleep, and an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. "Joseph, son of David," the angel said, "do not be afraid to go ahead with your marriage to Mary. For the child within her has been conceived by the Holy Spirit. [21] And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins."
Luke 2:21 (NLT)
Eight days later, when the baby was circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel even before he was conceived.
Intro.
Today we continue our journey toward Christmas - a journey that the church calls the season of Advent. A time of waiting and preparing. Waiting for God’s promised messiah and preparing our hearts for his arrival. This year we are using the first book in CS Lewis’ classic children’s story The Chronicles of Narnia. As I mentioned last week when Lewis first introduced the world to Narnia in 1950 it was a land of perpetual winter. It had been under the control of an evil witch, Jadis, for 100 years. The sons of Adam and the daughters of Eve, Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy enter this land through a Wardrobe. You will remember that Lucy first found her way into Narnia. So when they all end up in Narnia Lucy takes them to the house of her friend Mr. Tumnus. When they arrive they discover the door broken down and the contents destroyed. They also discover a paper that stated that Mr. Tumnus had been charged with treason for consorting with humans.
Lucy is crushed for she know it is all her fault. The children don’t know what to do. Suddenly they see that an animal is motioning to them, it is a beaver. Let’s listen in on their conversation.
(Play the section from chapter 7 in Focus on the Family Radio Theater’s production of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe beginning where Mr. Beaver asks if they are the sons of Adam and the daughters of Eve and play until the narrator finished describing their response Mr. Beavers mention of the name of Aslan.)
1. The Children’s response to the name of Aslan
- Each child responded differently
A. Edmund - “a sensation of mysterious horror”
Edmund had a reason to feel this way.
Eating the White Witch’s food
B. Peter - “suddenly brave and adventurous”
C. Susan - “as if some delicious smell or some delightful strain of music had just floated by her”
D. Lucy - “got the feeling you have when you wake up in the morning and realize that it is the beginning of holidays or the beginning of summer”
2. The response to Jesus at His Birth
A. Mary & Joseph - Humble Obedience
Mary
Luke 1:30-31 (NLT) "Don’t be frightened, Mary," the angel told her, "for God has decided to bless you! [31] You will become pregnant and have a son, and you are to name him Jesus.
Luke 1:38 (NLT) Mary responded, "I am the Lord’s servant, and I am willing to accept whatever he wants. May everything you have said come true." And then the angel left.
Joseph
Matthew 1:24-25 (NLT) When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord commanded. He brought Mary home to be his wife, [25] but she remained a virgin until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus.
B. The Shepherds - They told Everyone
Luke 2:15-18 (NLT) When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, "Come on, let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this wonderful thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."
[16] They ran to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. [17] Then the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. [18] All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished,
C. The Magi - They Worshiped Him
Matthew 2:9-11 (NLT) Once again the star appeared to them, guiding them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. [10] When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! [11] They entered the house where the child and his mother, Mary, were, and they fell down before him and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
D. Herod - He Despised Him
Matthew 2:2-3 (NLT) "Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We have seen his star as it arose, and we have come to worship him."
[3] Herod was deeply disturbed by their question, as was all of Jerusalem.
Matthew 2:16-18 (NLT) Herod was furious when he learned that the wise men had outwitted him. He sent soldiers to kill all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, because the wise men had told him the star first appeared to them about two years earlier. [17] Herod’s brutal action fulfilled the prophecy of Jeremiah:
[18] "A cry of anguish is heard in Ramah—
weeping and mourning unrestrained.
Rachel weeps for her children,
refusing to be comforted—for they are dead."
The reaction of mankind hasn’t changed much
- while some like Philip have been excited to meet Jesus
John 1:45 (NLT) Philip went off to look for Nathanael and told him, "We have found the very person Moses and the prophets wrote about! His name is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth."
- others have tried to stamp out his name like the leaders of the Temple in Jerusalem
Acts 5:40-41 (NLT) The council ... called in the apostles and had them flogged. Then they ordered them never again to speak in the name of Jesus, and they let them go. [41] The apostles left the high council rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer dishonor for the name of Jesus.
- retailers growing reluctance to use the name Christmas
3. Our Response to Jesus
As we approach the celebration of the birth of Jesus how will you respond?
A. With Apathy or Wholehearted Celebration
B. With Neglect or Devotion
C. With Silence or Bold Proclamation
D. With Humbug or Loving Worship
Concl. - What’s interesting is the Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy’s comes not from a studying out of who Aslan is but from their heart at the mere mention of his name. Your true response to Jesus will not be the verbal answer you would give if I asked you about Jesus - but the reality that bubbles up from the depths of your soul whenever you hear his name.
The Christmas Carol asks the question - “Do you hear what I hear?”
I hear the message of the angel who said, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:10-11 (NIV)
