DECEMBER 17TH
A Christmas Party
Luke 2:15-20 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
If you were to take a poll, you would easily find the majority of people select Christmas as their favorite holiday. Not only that, but you would find most people's single favorite day of the year is December 25th. December 26th is another story. The presents have been unwrapped. The house is a mess. Most of the food has been eaten, but some leftovers remain. People start thinking about and dreading the “undecorating” of their homes and getting back to work. Every year it's amazing how people can go from being so happy to being so bummed just a day after all that "Joy to the World." One problem that leads to this is that many people celebrate Christmas without really experiencing Christmas. You may ask, "What's the difference?" For the answer to that, let's look at some of the first folks to both celebrate and experience Christmas: the shepherds.
A common strategy in advertising today is to get the right people talking. If an Olympic athlete or chart-topping singer mentions a product or event, people pay attention. When God wanted to get the news out about Jesus' birth, He used angels to send a press release to a select group of people. We’d expect it to be given to the most influential, popular, and well-respected people so that when they started talking about this new baby, others would listen. Instead, God leaked the news to shepherds, who were on one of the lowest rungs of the social ladder. Uneducated, unskilled, and usually unwashed, shepherds weren't even allowed to testify in court because their word wasn't considered trustworthy. When they got the news about the Savior, however, these rough and dirty rejects celebrated in a way that set an example for all of us. These guys experienced Christmas firsthand. They were there that night and saw the stable, smelled the animals, and heard the baby cry. After their experience, they told anyone who would listen about what they had seen and heard. Once we've experienced firsthand the reality of God-made-flesh, like the shepherds, we can't remain silent. Our witness should be the first element of our celebration. The reason for all the cooking and carol singing should be our desire to break the news to the whole world that God has come to earth.
Our experience of Christmas changes the heart behind our celebration. The joy we have because of this news and our desire to share it doesn't fade when the cookies have all been eaten or when we stare at a pile of crumpled wrapping paper. The ways we witness after Christmas might change, but the joy behind our message is unfading. The shepherds celebrated Christmas not only by sharing the news but also by worshipping. God is just as worthy of our worship on December 26th, March 3rd, or July 12th as He is on December 25th. While we don't keep the Nativity up all year round, the memory of the baby in the manger should kindle in us the spark of worship even after the decorations have been stored away. In the end, if we celebrate Christmas as the shepherds did, we'll find that \ among the crumbs and crumpled paper of December 26th, our reason to celebrate, witness, and worship is with us every day of the year.
A common strategy in advertising today is to get the right people talking. If an Olympic athlete or chart-topping singer mentions a product or event, people pay attention. When God wanted to get the news out about Jesus' birth, He used angels to send a press release to a select group of people. We’d expect it to be given to the most influential, popular, and well-respected people so that when they started talking about this new baby, others would listen. Instead, God leaked the news to shepherds, who were on one of the lowest rungs of the social ladder. Uneducated, unskilled, and usually unwashed, shepherds weren't even allowed to testify in court because their word wasn't considered trustworthy. When they got the news about the Savior, however, these rough and dirty rejects celebrated in a way that set an example for all of us. These guys experienced Christmas firsthand. They were there that night and saw the stable, smelled the animals, and heard the baby cry. After their experience, they told anyone who would listen about what they had seen and heard. Once we've experienced firsthand the reality of God-made-flesh, like the shepherds, we can't remain silent. Our witness should be the first element of our celebration. The reason for all the cooking and carol singing should be our desire to break the news to the whole world that God has come to earth.
Our experience of Christmas changes the heart behind our celebration. The joy we have because of this news and our desire to share it doesn't fade when the cookies have all been eaten or when we stare at a pile of crumpled wrapping paper. The ways we witness after Christmas might change, but the joy behind our message is unfading. The shepherds celebrated Christmas not only by sharing the news but also by worshipping. God is just as worthy of our worship on December 26th, March 3rd, or July 12th as He is on December 25th. While we don't keep the Nativity up all year round, the memory of the baby in the manger should kindle in us the spark of worship even after the decorations have been stored away. In the end, if we celebrate Christmas as the shepherds did, we'll find that \ among the crumbs and crumpled paper of December 26th, our reason to celebrate, witness, and worship is with us every day of the year.