MESSAGES
- Luke 2:14 -
You know what I like best about Christmas Eve? The next day is Christmas morning. I finally get to tear into my presents I've been eyeballing under the tree for the past week. It's a wonderful time to spend with the family and to watch our spouse and children get excited as they receive gifts from one another. It's so nice to be able to celebrate the birth of my Savior, Jesus Christ, with those people I love the most.
However, it isn't long before Christmas night rolls around and we find this day of all days coming to an end. The wrapping paper has been tossed out the football games are finally over the dishes are washed and put away and the leftover turkey becomes lunches for the next year and a half. Bing Crosby's White Christmas is packed away until next year. Tomorrow we head to Mervyn's to exchange our size 36 for a size 40. On the way home we stop by the grocery store because eggnog will be on sale for 1/2 price. Yep! Christmas is over.
As Christian's we are to remember that Christmas is more than just the birth and arrival of Jesus Christ. It was also a departure. The Bible says in Isaiah 9:6, "For unto us a child is born (there's the arrival), unto us a Son is given" (there's the departure). In order for baby Jesus to be born on earth, He first had to leave His heavenly kingdom. Can you imagine! God had become a fetus, slept in a womb, was born a baby, and was laid in a manger. God (Immanuel) was with us in living flesh. That's hard to understand, and yet it's true.
In the gospel of Luke chapter 2 we read about the Christmas story (read verse 1-20 for yourself). This had to have been the night of all nights for these Shepherds. These men had been sitting in darkness, keeping watch over their sheep when suddenly they experienced the glory of God. After they were approached by an angel of the Lord who proclaimed the good news of Christ birth, and after hearing the heavenly host praising God in the highest, they went in haste to see and behold the baby Jesus.
That reminds me of people all around the world. It seems as if, during the Christmas season, people all around the world will stop and think more about Jesus than they have the entire past year. All of a sudden He's important and He's everywhere. During the Christmas season, His name is on their lips, and for a few hours many people will go in haste and behold Him. During this time, many people will take their eyes off themselves, and will put them on Jesus. But not for long! Very soon life will be back to normal, and people will no longer behold Him. Sadly, the Christmas child seems to be tossed out with the Christmas tree.
This baby Jesus came to us for many reasons. He came to set us free from the bondage of sin and the power of death. He came to take our sins upon Himself and to pay the penalty for them. He came to give us the hope of heaven. He came to give us peace with God. The Bible says, "We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:1). In fact, Jesus said to His disciples, "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). You men and women in law enforcement and the fire service know the tribulation He's talking about. You're a part of it each and every day as you put on your uniform, pin on your badge, and go to work in order to protect society, and try to maintain the peace.
In verse 14 we see the multitude of heavenly host praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." Peace on earth! One cannot help but wonder if this is not a fictitious statement. As we look around this world by reading the morning paper or watching the evening news, we begin to ask ourselves, Where is this peace? Where is this goodwill toward man?
Ever since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, man has constantly been at war with one another. There has been very little peace. Today there are literally dozens of wars taking place around the world. Why would the angels make such a statement if it were not true? It seems as if peace is hiding, and goodwill is only a cliché. The angels declared peace they proclaimed goodwill. But where is it? I believe it's found in the "glory to God in the highest." Here is my point: We seem to be fixing our eyes on the 2nd and 3rd phase of this statement, and we overlook the 1st phase. We are looking at the end, when we should be looking at the beginning. We're putting the cart before the horse. We have taken one point of the angels statement, and have thrown away the rest. We are too looking for God's peace that we're ignoring God's glory.
Peace doesn't come before glory. Peace comes through glory. Peace is not born of itself. It doesn't just evolve. Peace is the fruit of a certain relationship, and only when that relationship is secured, is peace inevitable and secured. For instance: If 1 key in a piano is out of relationship with the other keys, there is nothing that can bring peace to the music, no matter how hard you try. In order for there to be peace in the music, the instrument must be tuned. Then, and only then, is there harmony and peace. There must be the right relationship between the keys.
The Bible says, "God keeps them in perfect peace whose heart and mind is set on Him" (Isaiah 26:3). It also says, "we have peace with God through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 5:1). Peace is, not a root, but the fruit of having the right relationship with God, and it results in living a life that brings glory to God. Jesus Christ came to bring glory to God and peace to man. But man will never be at peace with man until he is at peace with God. That comes only as he recognizes the One who brings glory to God, Jesus Christ, as Lord and Savior of his life. Again, peace does not come before glory, but through glory.
For many people, Christmas is a very depressing time. As you are well aware of, there are more suicides and more acts of violence committed in the month of December than any other month throughout the year. For many people, Christmas is nothing but an excuse to go out, get drunk, have a party you name it! They will do anything to experience a moment of peace in their lives. In this world that is filled with so much human hatred, ill-will, and strife, we need to ask ourselves: Where does my thinking begin? Unless it begins with "glory to God in the highest" through a relationship with God, there will never be "peace on earth, goodwill toward men."
How do we give glory to God in order that there would be peace on earth and goodwill towards men? There's only 1 way! Jesus said, "I am the way " It's only as we come into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, that we come into a relationship with God. Only as we come to "love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength" can we "love our neighbor as our self." Peace among men will only come as we each, individually, have peace with God. Man believes the answer for peace is war, when in all actuality the answer for peace is--surrender. We must each surrender our lives over to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
I'm so thankful that Jesus Christ did not remain a baby in a manger. The Bible says He grew and became a man (the God Man), and that He came with a specific purpose -- to bring peace. Jesus said, "The enemy has come to rob, kill and destroy, but I have come that you might have peace and that abundantly" (John 10:10). He brings that peace by going to war for us. He fought against the gates of hell in order to redeem us. On Friday Jesus appeared to have lost the battle on Calvary as He died on that cross for the sin of mankind. On Sunday He won the war by resurrecting from the dead. All this because He loves us and wants us to have peace with God.
Jesus entered the presence of humanity in the form of a baby, so that you and I can one day enter into His presence. He doesn't want to be separated from us, and He doesn't want us to be separated from Him. We decide where we spend eternity, with or without Jesus Christ. The Bible says, "Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved" (Romans 10:13). The shepherds called on the Lord, and what happened? In Luke 2:20 we read, "Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen ..." After their experience of hearing the angels, and then going and seeing the baby for themselves, they returned to their work "glorifying and praising God." All because they had a personal experience with Jesus.
These shepherds humbly returned to their jobs (as new men) to do the same job. Maybe your job has been a struggle lately; maybe you're thinking about calling it quits, and finding yourself a new line of work. Might I encourage you to do what these shepherd did -- go and see Jesus. Jesus says, "Come to Me all who are weary and heavy-laden and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28). Are you able to praise and glorify God because you know Him personally? Are you at peace with God? Are you at rest with God? He wants to give you rest from and in your work, but you must come to Him. These shepherds were able to celebrate the very first Christmas by "praising and glorifying God." What about you? Are you able to do that or have you been celebrating Christmas without the guest of honor.
If you would like to know God personally, then I invite you to pray this prayer of invitation. "God, I confess that I am a sinner and in need of a Savior. I believe that Jesus died for my sins, was buried, and rose again on the 3rd day, in order that I can live with you. Jesus, I invite you to come into my life and be my personal Savior and Lord. Thank you for forgiving me. Thank you for saving me. Thank you for the gift of eternal life. Help me to follow You from this day forward. Amen!"
If you prayed that prayer of invitation, please write me at our E-mail address, and let me know. I would love to hear from you.
God bless you and Merry Christmas,
Pastor Steve
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