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Jesus Christ Has Come!
A woman was in the mall doing her Christmas shopping. She was tired of walking through every aisle of every store to find just the right present. She was stressed out by the mounting debt on her credit card. She was tired of fighting the crowds and standing in lines for the registers. Her hands were full and when the elevator door opened, it was full. “Great!” she muttered and the occupants of the elevator, feeling her pain, graciously tightened ranks to allow a small space for her and her load. As the doors closed she blurted out, “I think whoever came up with this Christmas junk ought to be found, strung up and shot!” A few others shook their head or grunted in agreement. Then, from somewhere in the back of the elevator came a single voice that said, “Don’t worry. They already crucified Him.”
(pause) Can you just imagine the reaction on that elevator? Not one of those people was thinking about Jesus as they were shopping. The reason for the season was forgotten. It is sooo easy, even for Christians, to get away from the true meaning of the season, to get caught up in the hurry and rush at this time of year that we forget that we are celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world.
Someone said, “If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent an educator. If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent a scientist. If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent an economist. But, our greatest need was forgiveness and redemption, and, therefore, God sent a Savior!”
Our scriptures this afternoon tell the story of our Savior’s birth. It starts out fairly ordinary. The emperor Augustus decided he wanted everyone registered. Anyone descended from the tribe of David had to travel to Bethlehem since that was David’s hometown. Joseph was a descendent of King David so he along with Mary traveled to Bethlehem. Thousands would have also traveled to Bethlehem for the census with them. The chances are that Mary was not the only one to give birth during this census. Luke puts it so calmly. “While they were there the time came for her to deliver her child.” Mary gave birth to her son, wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger. There is nothing spectacular about the birth, it appears quite ordinary. You might think the birth would have been attended by angels but none were at the manger that night. Only Mary, Joseph and their newborn son.
Luke shifts the focus now to some ordinary shepherds living out in a field tending their sheep by night. The shepherds had spent many similar nights watching the sheep. The most excitement they expected was an animal trying to attack the sheep. By, oh my, look what happened next. The heavens broke open. An angel of the Lord appeared before them and the glory of the Lord shone around them. The glory of the Lord. Can you imagine such a sight? I don’t think I can, I think you would have be there to experience it. The radiance of God visibly shining in the night. What an awe inspiring sight. The shepherds were terrified by this and who could blame them?
The angel tells them not to be afraid because the angel has brought them good news of great joy for all people. “To you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Christ, the Lord.”
A Savior who is the Messiah, who is Christ the Lord. The joy that must have filled their hearts as this news. All the people of Israel were longing for the coming of the savior.
We all long for a savior. We long for someone to come along and solve all our problems. Someone who will ease our pain, cure our disease, fulfill our longings for happiness. Whether we think that happiness will come from a new job, success, wealth or the right spouse.
We even see this in sports. One year I spent Thanksgiving with my son-in-law’s family and they were all football fanatics. If they weren’t watching an actual game they were playing fantasy football. Studying who was injured and who was healthy. What each player’s stats were. Hoping for the magic player who would win every game for them. Their happiness was tied to which football team and which player did the best.
Happiness comes from things and is transient, here for a moment and then gone. Joy is different from happiness. True joy doesn’t come from earthly things. It comes only from God.
On that long ago night the shepherds discovered true joy. They went from terror at the sight of the angel to joy at the angel’s words. Remember, these shepherds are Jewish. They know all the prophecies about the Messiah who is to come. They have waited for Him and longed for Him. Now they have just been told that He is born. They didn’t say, “oh, that’s nice,” and keep tending their sheep. No, they said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” They left their sheep to search for the Christ child. Shepherds never leave their sheep but these shepherds had just heard of something far more important than sheep.
The shepherds went with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the child lying in the manger. They told them what the angels had said and all who heard were amazed at what the shepherds told them. I imagine the night went from ordinary to extraordinary with their news. The shepherds returned to their sheep glorifying and praising God for all they had seen and heard. I imagine they never forgot that night in Bethlehem.
We can’t really go to the manger like the shepherds did but we can still reach out to Jesus, He is there and He is waiting. Explore again the joy that is open to us when we reach out to Jesus. Don’t just affirm the facts but know Jesus in the deepest part of your heart. Let His presence drive all doubt away and fill you with His joy.
Joy can fill our hearts at Christmas when we forget the hustle and bustle of the season, all the commercialism that says we must rush around and buy gifts for everyone. Take some time this season to sit back, relax and allow the good news that Christ has come to fill your hearts. Then the joy will flow.
Want to share the joy with others? Many people are more open to the good news in this season. Many are fed up with the commercialism of the season and want to return to a simpler way. Why don’t you invite someone new to our service? Help them to find the joy. Help them to meet their savior, Jesus Christ. Born so long ago on that night in Bethlehem.