What Are You Searching For At Christmas This Year?

What are you searching for at Christmas this year?

LK 2:12, 15, MT 2:1,2, 7:7 LK 2:25-38

There are ways that little boys know how to get through even though the way is hard. There is story about a little boy who wanted a watch for Christmas. It seems he brought it up a lot and his dad said “do not mention it again because that will mean you will not get it.” At the meal time the little boy was asked to pray. He said he would like to quote a scripture before he prayed. MK 13:37 “I say unto you what I have already told you before--- WATCH.

At this time of the year many give presents and so they are searching for just the right gift. I have been to parties where there are exchange gifts and there are times one gets not only what they do not need but do not even want. As we search for gifts we try to find the best bargain. My little brother one year would buy a gift. Later he would go into another store and find it was less expensive so he would take the gift back get his money and go to buy it for the cheaper price. Some are looking for the neatest decorations to show off their houses. In our searching we also look for the parking spot closest to the store. We are a searching people. So in our search what are we looking for this Christmas? One person I heard this week talked about the fact we have Christmas on the wrong date. To me the date is not so important as the fact that we take one time a year to celebrate that God came into our world as a baby.

So this brings up the fact that many at that first Christmas many were searching but missed the meaning of Christmas and they had the right date. There were the politicians who were looking for a supreme ruler. There were business men who were looking for a kingdom in which their profits would increase. The Innkeeper did not need a pregnant teenager and poor carpenter but looked for those who could pay a good price for a room. Those in the church were looking for a Messiah that would bring peace and set up an earthly kingdom of which they could rule with Him.

We do find those who were searching and looking for the right thing at Christmas. The shepherds, Anna, Simeon and the wise men were looking for a baby.

MT 7:7 says “seek and you shall find.” If you follow this verse you will find what you need for Christmas.

It appears that society is seeking spiritual truth. Time, Life, Newsweek and U. S. News have been running articles that show this. On their covers have been such topics as, “Life After Death,” “Clear View of Heaven,” “Who is He?” with a picture of Jesus. “Who wrote the Bible,” “The Search for the Sacred” are on the magazines that want people to read them. They put in their articles things that they believe would interest people so they can sell them.

People have been asking, “Is there a meaning to life? Does my life count? Is there a God? How can I know Him?” In the Bible God has a response and it is something like this, “I know about you, the good and the bad, the ugly, your past, present and future.” “I want you to know me.”

So we would ask: “Why am I here? What is my purpose? Why do I exist?” “Why should I get up in the morning eat breakfast, go to work, come home, watch TV and go to bed just to get up and do it again?” Where do those questions come from? Believe me they come from God who created you and made you for His purpose. I want us to look at three gifts that you will find if seek them.

1. If you seek you will find forgiveness. He was born the Savior, Christ the Lord. Now the Bible speaks of a place called heaven. It is a perfect place and only perfect people can go there. Now if God let imperfect people in it would not longer be perfect. So what chance do you and I have of getting into heaven? When ever you discovered you were not perfect you were no longer able to go to heaven. You really do not have to discover it for you were born with sin in your life. God looked down and saw our trouble so gave us a plan that no man could come up with. He sent us his Son that He would pay the price for our getting into heaven. It is by His righteousness that we can get in. Maybe you could have written a letter like this?