What would Christmas be without a good sale? After all who wants to pay retail for all those gifts you buy? “Pre Christmas” sales are what we like at Christmas time!
And when all the presents are opened and families visited what could be better than an “After Christmas” sale? Some love getting next years wrapping paper, ornaments, and left over fake Christmas trees for next to nothing. We like getting something for next to nothing. When you think about it, it almost makes you wish Christmas were over!
• Have you thought about Christmas this season beyond all the buying?
• Have you thought about why there is Christmas?
• Have you thought about what God was doing before Christmas?
• Have you thought about what happened after Christmas?
Luke 2:8-20 That night some shepherds were in the fields outside the village, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terribly frightened, 10 but the angel reassured them. "Don’t be afraid!" he said. "I bring you good news of great joy for everyone! 11 The Savior--yes, the Messiah, the Lord--has been born tonight in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And this is how you will recognize him: You will find a baby lying in a manger, wrapped snugly in strips of cloth!" 13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others--the armies of heaven--praising God: 14 "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to all whom God favors." 15 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, 19 but Mary quietly treasured these things in her heart and thought about them often. 20 The shepherds went back to their fields and flocks, glorifying and praising God for what the angels had told them, and because they had seen the child, just as the angel had said.
Think about this thought … Nearly two thousand years ago peace and joy came after Christmas. (James N. Watkins)
We tend to put lock, stock and barrel into Christmas day … the getting of gifts (some wanted and some not wanted), and after all the gifts have been opened and there’s nothing under the tree … well it is anticlimactic, to say the least. Christmas is over for another year.
Oh I know we enjoy our gifts for a while, but let’s face it, we begin to think about packing up Christmas and all its cheer for another year and about having to go back to work and school and everything else that is fairly normal to us.
God on the other hand wrapped up His gift, His Son, and laid Him in a manger. And then He told a bunch of ragged tagged shepherds to come and they in turn went out to announce the “after Christmas shepherd sale.”
Luke 2:17-20 NLT 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, 19 but Mary quietly treasured these things in her heart and thought about them often. 20 The shepherds went back to their fields and flocks, glorifying and praising God for what the angels had told them, and because they had seen the child, just as the angel had said.
The after Christmas shepherd sale speaks of …
• Treasuring …
The scriptures tell us the “magi” opened up their treasures to Christ… and Mary, the mother of Jesus, treasured the things that happened on CHRISTmas.
A treasure is something that is of great value and worth.
The scriptures speak of God treasuring His people (Deut 7:6; 1 Pt 2:9)
I have to believe the shepherds treasured the message by the angels, and the viewing of the Messiah as a moment of truth in the highest regards. It was more than a sentimental moment, but a God-moment where the reality of eternity entered their hearts and lives.
Treasure not the season but the Savior of this season of Christmas.
Treasure Christ. Discover and find the value of the message of His life and work so as to store up treasures not in this world, but for heaven that is written on our hearts.
• Telling …
The shepherds after Christmas began telling others what had been told to them.
Luke 2:10b-11 NLT … "I bring you good news of great joy for everyone! 11 The Savior--yes, the Messiah, the Lord--has been born tonight in Bethlehem, the city of David!
The shepherds after Christmas began telling everyone. How could they not tell?
I’ve told this story before, but I will again … I had a friend Roger who was a guy that was always antagonistic toward others, including myself. He made fun of everyone for everything, especially those of us involved with a youth group. Well years went by and while in seminary my sister called to tell me that Roger had been gloriously saved. I saw Roger about a year later. We talked of his salvation, and he said to me, “Bob you knew about Jesus in high school and you didn’t tell me. You should have told me. You should have told me, Bob.”
Guilt is not my aim. Glory is! Roger was right, I should have told him and I should be telling the “good news” about Jesus, His life and death and my sins forgiven … and He being the treasure of my life.
What we treasure we will talk about. Just listen to yourself talk to discover what you are treasuring to tell others.
The shepherds … told everyone what had happened. Tell someone after Christmas what the good news of your life is.
• Returning …
I have to say this part is what jazzed me this week, as I began to look at what the shepherds did after Christmas. It would be great to think the shepherds were asked by the Bethlehem Christian Organization of Really Great Eternal Life Changing Experiences to go on a speaking tour, and to eventually write a book (The Shepherds Secret Understanding of Christmas) about what really happened at Christmas.
But … here is the truth … The shepherds went back to their fields and flocks. Oh man … they went baaaa-ck to keeping sheep!
And what will you and I return to? We will go back to work, school, cleaning house … all the normal things of our lives.
But wait! Something has to be different!
Luke 2:20 NLT The shepherds went back to their fields and flocks, glorifying and praising God for what the angels had told them, and because they had seen the child, just as the angel had said.
There is a difference … they went back different than when they came! They went back with hearts full of the glory (worth; honor) of Christ and their tongues filled with praises to be expressed.
Two quotes by John Piper … (quotes from sermons on desringgod.org)
• God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.
• Treasuring Christ is something we spread to others … as the all-satisfying Treasure of life.
We return to our ordinary lives, jobs, schools, play … with a changed heart of being thankful.
The shepherds must have realized, as we need to, that God is with us in our ordinary lives.
Matthew 1:23 "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" --which means, "God with us."
God is found in the places we least think He will be found. We assign Him to church buildings and cathedrals … when in reality He is found with us at our jobs, in school, at play, and everywhere else we go.
Someone has stated, “It is not so much where you live but how you live; and as you live, to the world your highest give.” (quoted from a sermon by Edward Markquart, Sermons from Seattle)
The highest good is Christ. What an after Christmas sale God is giving us! Go make Jesus look good by treasuring Him, telling others about Him, and returning with Him into the everyday of your life!
Amen!
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