The Christmas Party

“The Christmas Party”

My first Christmas party this year, that I was suppose to go to, was Thursday with the South County Deputies. I didn’t make it. Nate, my grandson, who is staying with us, had strep throat and we were worried he might be contagious. The second party was the next night, Friday. It was the Wilden family Christmas party and gift exchange. A great time was had by all. Saturday Julie and I got to go on the Mc Cloud dinner train. What a wonderful experience. Tonight we are guest of the Yreka Church of the Nazarene. Then I have a couple more parties this next week. We sure are partying up a storm this year. And isn’t that the way it should be? We should laugh and sing and celebrate Christmas. It’s a joyous event. Did you notice in our Scripture that they were doing quite a bit of partying that first Christmas? The angels threw the first party. A single angel appeared to the shepherds who were tending their flocks and scared them half to death. He had to say, “Don’t be afraid.” But then the angels couldn’t help it. Suddenly a host of angels appeared. One version says “an army of angels” appeared. And what did they do? They broke into song and celebration. I’m sure the shepherds didn’t know what was going on – but the angels did. And they couldn’t contain their praise. The angel said that he brought them most joyful news ever spoken. The Savior had come to earth – born as a baby in a manger.

I think the angels were just blown away at this news. They knew this Creator. They had been there when He had created the sun and moon and stars. There were there when the earth was void and without form and watched in amazement when He spoke the mountains into being. They were astonished when He created the oceans and watched in awe as the different kinds of creatures were created by fiat. I took Nate to see John’s little kittens and baby chicks yesterday. I don’t think the angels were any less enamored when Jesus created them. Can you imagine what they thought when God scooped up some dirt and clay and formed man?

The angels watched this powerful God create the universe. Volcanoes and mountains and oceans were nothing to Him. They watched Jesus throw rebellious archangel Lucifer from his heavenly home. And now, because of His love for the people He had created by His own hand, He had come to earth as a weak helpless little baby so He could save mankind. WOW! They must have been so amazed that God would go to such great lengths. And when they came to earth to give His birth announcement they spontaneously broke into the “Hallelujah Chorus” or “Joy to the World” or something like it.

I think if we understood a little bit of what Christ coming to earth that first Christmas meant – we would celebrate and party, too. I don’t think we can fully comprehend it all – but there’s a few things I can grasp and understand that makes my heart leap for joy.

First of all, He came to pay the penalty for my sins. When God created Adam and Eve and placed them in the beautiful Garden of Eden, don’t you think that He and the angels were thrilled? How it must have warmed God’s heart as He walked and fellowshipped with Adam and Eve in the cool of the evening. I can imagine them strolling along smelling the perfume of exotic flowers and trilling at awesome creatures God had made. Like a loving Father with a loving son, God enjoyed His greatest creation. But then that day came when Eve listened to the snake instead of her heart. Her natural created instinct was to obey – but, using her new found free will, she went against what she knew was right and choose wrong. And as is the nature of sin – she got someone else to go along with her. And Adam and Eve fell. The fell from the perfect relationship they had with God; they fell from innocence; they fell from grace. And an amazing thing happened. Their very nature was twisted. Something inside was warped and twisted and what was once pure and holy became twisted and depraved. Their natural reaction was no longer to obey – but to disobey. Their natural inclination was no longer to do good – but evil. They no longer had a heart of love – but a heart of hate and wickedness. The really sad news is that this wicked heart was then pasted on to their children. We call it “inherited depravity”. And every mother’s son is born with a twisted heart. Every offspring of Adam’s is born with a bent to evil. And every one of us sins. The Bible says,