CHRISTMAS;
IT’S ALL ABOUT JESUS
AND CHANGES OUR LIVES
FOR THE BETTER FOREVER
Luke 2:1-20 ESV
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus
that all the world should be registered.
This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria.
And all went to be registered, each to his own town.
And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth,
to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem,
because he was of the house and lineage of David,
to be registered with Mary, his betrothed,
who was with child.
And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth.
And she gave birth to her firstborn son
and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger,
because there was no place for them in the inn.
Bless their hearts! Joseph and Mary have been portrayed in all manner of Christmas Nativity plays. Becky and I recently had the pleasure of seeing “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.” In that movie Mary and Joseph were played by very dirty, very naughty, very needy—and yet very much beloved by God—children whose parents struggled to care for and raise them. So, Imogene, the cigar smoking oldest girl, and Ralph, the next oldest in the infamous Herdman family, play Mary and Joseph in a Christmas Pageant that teaches them about Jesus who loves them and changes their lives forever. You know, that’s what Jesus has done for us. I never smoked a cigar, but I sinned just as surely as did Imogene and Ralph—and I needed forgiveness Jesus came to Earth via Bethlehem to give. That’s the great good news of Christmas. Jesus takes the Imogene and Ralph in each of us, and loves us to the point of giving His life to transform us and make us brand new people just like them. Praise God for Jesus at the heart of Christmas!
ALL ABOUT JESUS:
SHEPHERDS ABIDING,
KEEPING FAITHFUL WATCH
OVER THEIR FLOCKS
8And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field,
keeping watch over their flock by night.
And an angel of the Lord appeared to them,
and the glory of the Lord shone around them,
and they were filled with great fear.
And the angel said to them, “Fear not,
for behold, I bring you good news of great joy
that will be for all the people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior,
who is Christ the Lord.
And this will be a sign for you:
you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”
And suddenly there was with the angel
a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!
Although they did not have the best of reputations, these Christmas shepherds were doing what they were supposed to do. The were tending their sheep out in the fields at night, while their families in Bethlehem were sleeping. We might even say Shepherds were like the misfit Herdmans of their day. I remember in elementary school we had a family like the Herdmans, and no one wanted to hang out with them. They did not have clean clothes. They did not have decent shoes. They were pretty much ignored, and occasionally teased. Unlike the Herdmans, though, they never hurt anyone, nor bullied, nor stole things. They pretty much suffered in silence. Now I know how much Jesus loved them, how much they needed to know His love in the midst of their very difficult lives. I also know that Jesus saw me as rather dirty and rather rough and rather unattractive. Yet just like he sent good news to the shepherds by the angels, he sent good news to me by the way of good and faithful Christian men and women. It is good for us to remember it was these humble shepherds God chose to send the first news of Jesus’ birth. It is not about being worthy, it is about being loved by God.
THE FAITHFUL SHEPHERDS
FIND THE BABY WITH MARY AND JOSEPH
JUST AS THE ANGELS HAD TOLD THEM.
When the angels went away from them into heaven,
the shepherds said to one another,
“Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened,
which the Lord has made known to us.”
And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph,
and the baby lying in a manger.
And when they saw it, they made known the saying
that had been told them concerning this child.
And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.
But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.
And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God
for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
When God gives you His message of Great Good News, you better believe Him. The Shepherds did, and so they hurried into Bethlehem and found Jesus just as the Angels had said. Of course, they worshipped Him; and then they went out and told everyone what the angels had told them, that Christ the Lord had been born in their own Bethlehem. The shepherds made it clear they had seen the baby born their Messiah, and everyone who heard them wondered at this amazing news. In the meantime, Mary pondered—she must have remembered her visit from an angel—and now his impossible news had come true. Jesus was lying beside her in a manger. How remarkable this must have been to this faithful, trusting, girl who dared to believe and dared to obey. Imagine how Jospeh must have felt—now so glad he had believed his own vision of an angel—who convinced him to also believe and obey. May we find in this Christmas that same strong belief and that same steady obedience. And may we also, like the shepherds, glorify and praise our most glorious and gracious God. Amen!
THE SHEPHERDS
GLORIFIED GOD
FOR HIS GOOD NEWS
ABOUT THE BABY JESUS
THEY HAD SEEN.
One of our favorite Christmas activities in Jos took place every Christmas Eve when Hillcrest School held a special service filled with beautiful music, Scripture, wonderful worship and fellowship. One year the Hillcrest community staged this celebration on the hillside on the outskirts of Jos, literally in the hills which appeared so much like we might have seen had we been there with the shepherds long ago in Bethlehem. During that service I kept looking around, wondering if those shepherds might make a miraculous, encore appearance to glorify God for all the things they had seen—exactly as God’s angels had told them—particularly the Savior for them and the whole world for all times, theirs and ours and for all people everywhere in the world. As it grew dark around us on that hill, I searched sky and enjoyed looking among the stars, wondering how Jesus’ very own star must appeared. Needless to say, it was a beautiful service setting us up for a delightful Christmas the next day. I am reminded that wherever we are, God’s glorious news at Christmas still rings true. We do, indeed, have a Savior, and He is indeed, Christ the Lord for the whole world! Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!
The rocky hillsides in Jos
definitely remind you of
those shepherds and those angels
when Jesus was born.
FATHER IN HEAVEN, GIVE US HEARTS
Father in Heaven, give us hearts
which like the shepherds
fall on their knees
before your glory,
yet open their hearts to hear Your
great good news with faith
and trust and joy
and hope hurrying
over to Bethlehem to
see the Christ our Lord
establishing
our our lives in Him.
Father in heaven, give us hearts
immediately
faithful like Mary,
obedient—
convinced and sturdy, trusting like
Joseph, convinced and
dependable, strong
and resilient—
Father, allow us to worship
and glorify Your
Name even as
Your angels.
Christmas brings wonder
to our hearts and souls!
Oh, what joy Jesus brings!
Hallelujah! Amen!
