The Message of Jesus Birth

The Message of Jesus Birth

             “Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields,                  

keeping watch over their flock by night.”  Luke 2:8

Almost everyone knows the story of the birth of Jesus Christ, Savior of the world.  We know how and why Jesus and Mary traveled to Bethlehem and how Jesus was born in either a stable or a cave.  We know it was a place where animals stayed because the Baby Jesus was placed in a manger.  While it’s a wonderful story regarding the birth of our Savior, there is far more to it than that.

If you really want to think deeper on this, imagine being in a place where animals stayed. The smell was surely heavy with animal dung.  I’m sure fresh hay was put in an empty manger and no doubt covered with some kind of covering, and this newborn was wrapped in swaddling clothes.  It must have been cold and probably all they had to cover themselves for warmth, was a cloak.  I often wondered if someone from the village came to help deliver Jesus or did inexperienced Joseph help Mary to deliver the Child.  It was surely a traumatic event in the life of a teenage girl and a man who knew he had not fathered this baby. 

Mary and Joseph must have tried to settle down for the night when they heard a commotion outside the entrance.  They must have been frightened, because robbery was a common thing in those days, although this young couple certainly had nothing of value. There must have been some conversation between Joseph and the shepherds before they entered the place where baby Jesus lay. Perhaps the shepherds told them what happened out on the hillside.  The shepherds were excited as they related the event that brought them to see the Baby. 

 “Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger. Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”   Luke 2:9-14 

There is no mention of the shepherds seeing a star; apparently the star did not appear the night Jesus was born and we hear nothing about its appearance until we read about the wise men, whose story will be told next week.

The one thing they did was to see the Babe themselves and everything was just as the angel had told them.  They told everyone they saw about the angelic visit and the baby that was born.  When they returned to the fields, they were praising and glorifying God. This is what really happened the night Jesus was born.  Movies, books, pictures and Christmas cards give a different story of a stable; shepherds and wise men all kneeling around baby Jesus and a big star shining down on the stable.  It makes a lovely picture, although not a true one. 

Let’s look into the Old Testament at the prophecies that were fulfilled when Jesus was born.  Isaiah 7:14 tells that Jesus mother will be a virgin, Micah 5:2 says the Jesus would be born in Bethlehem; Genesis 49:10 tells us that he would come from the tribe of Judah. Prophecy also tells of his life, death by crucifixion, resurrection and ascension into heaven. These things were foretold hundreds of years before Jesus birth.  These are just a few of many prophecies in the Bible that came true with the birth of Jesus.

 Now, let us go deeper into the Message of Jesus Birth.  The message is this:  God sent his son, Jesus to save the world and set sinners free!  John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”   This is the message of the birth of Jesus Christ. 

There is no other way to be in heaven when you die, except to believe that Jesus is the Son of God and confess our sins, asking Him to forgive us.  The Bible says we must be “born again” and that means that after we invite Jesus into our spiritual heart, we change the way we lived in the past.  We put aside the worldly things that have kept us in place of discontent and unhappiness and turn to trusting in the Lord who gives us joy and strength.  You can receive this new life right now by asking Jesus to come into your life and heart.  This is the best Christmas gift you’ll ever have and it lasts for eternity.

Merry Christmas

The Message of Gifts

The Message of the Gifts

“And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.” Matthew 2:11

This time of year is noted as part of celebrating Christmas.  We wander through stores, search the internet and use our skills to make gifts for others.  We tend to spend money we don’t have; use credit cards, or whatever it takes to find the perfect gifts for family, friends and co-workers.  Why do we do this?

Gift giving originally was part of honoring God.  From the days of Adam and Eve, “By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.”   Hebrews 11:4 (NKJV) We read where Abraham gave gifts and so on through the Bible gifts were given; not only to honor God, but to others.

When we come into the Christmas season, we think more about the visit of the Wisemen after the birth of Jesus.  They came bearing gifts for the newborn King.  Those gifts were very costly and truly fit for a King, but that is not why we give gifts at Christmas.  As Christians, we give because it is a way to celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. For those who are not Christians, they give just to give; they have parties, drinking and carousing just for the fun of it.

 Giving gifts at a time of celebration began with the Jewish Feast of ‘Purim’ and is still honored by Jews today.  In the book of Esther in the Old Testament, Queen Esther’s husband, the King of Persia set the Jews free after an evil plot to kill all of them.  This celebration is in memory of their freedom and was part of feasting, music and gift-giving to each other and to the poor.  You can read about this in Esther, Chapter 2.

God believes in ‘gifts’ because the Bible tells us that God, the Father has given many spiritual gifts to us, his children.  Some ignore these gifts, but praise the Lord for those that are open to using the Gifts God gave to them. In Matthew 7:11, the Bible tells us how much God wanted you to have his gifts:  “So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.”

Now, back to the question above, “Why do we give gifts at Christmas?”  For some, it’s to show off by giving the most expensive gifts, and for some, they give because it’s expected by them.  While others search and search to find the ‘right’ gift that they think the recipient would like to have; some just give without thought.  Many agree that homemade gifts are the best, because it takes effort, thought and time to make them.

The truth is, that giving to those who can’t return the favor is really part of God’s plan, because it honors Him.  There are many organizations such as ‘Toy’s for Tots’ that need your help, or places like the Salvation Army.  Perhaps your church has a program to give Christmas boxes, or a family you know of that needs help.  There is no greater feeling than helping others.  Let your heart guide you this Christmas even if you don’t have much to give.  God is honored with all of it, big or small.

As for me, I love my family so much and I find such joy in giving to them of what I have. The greatest gift I can give is my love and my prayers to each of them and to my friends as well.  I would encourage you to think carefully about what gifts you are planning on giving this year.  Sending a card with kind words to those who are bound in their homes, or those far away, is a gift of love. Find someone to share with, of what God has given you. The message of gift-giving is, or should be, all about sharing the Love of God.  Happy giving!

The Message of the Tree

The Message of the Tree

“For you shall go out with joy, and be led out with peace; the mountains and the hills shall break forth into singing before you, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.”   Isaiah 55:12

God created trees as part of his plan and as with all his creation, they also praise him.  I love trees and am always amazed at their changing through seasons.  You may think all trees are green, but riding along a road, you will find they are such a variety of green that you can’t describe the true color. In the fall, the colors are so amazing, you may wish you were an artist to capture it on a canvas.

However there is one tree that does not change year around and that is the fir tree.  The Psalms even speak of fir trees: “Where the birds make their nests; the stork has her home in the fir trees.” (Psalm 104:17)  God knew the importance of the trees and throughout the Bible they are mentioned many times, such as the ‘Cedars of Lebanon and the use of making musical instruments.  In the early 1800’s, Germany being one of the first, began decorating trees with fruit, candies and candles, and putting them in their homes. Eventually the practice moved to Canada and then to the United States.

It soon became a tradition to have Christmas trees in homes around the world.  The star on the top represents the birth of our Savior and a tree top angel reminds us of the angel’s proclamation of Jesus being born.  Any other reason to have a Christmas tree is strictly a decorating idea. There was a period of time that Christians were told it was evil to have a tree in their house. It came from a scripture in Jeremiah 10:3-4, “For the customs of the peoples are futile; for one cuts a tree from the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the ax. They decorate it with silver and gold; they fasten it with nails and hammers so that it will not topple.”  Now the problem was that they didn’t read on, because in verse 5, scripture tells us to not be afraid because they can’t do any evil. 

Christmas Trees are not idols, nor are they evil; they are a tradition that brings joy to children and adults as well.  The tradition is for us to enjoy God’s creation of the fir tree and sing carols and traditional songs.  I don’t see that singing I’m ‘Dreaming of a White Christmas’ is wrong.  All carols we sing were written by men; not God. I want to share a poem written in the 1800’s by Joyce Kilmer.

Trees

I think that I shall never see, a poem lovely as a tree

A tree whose hungry mouth is pressed against the earth’s sweet flowing breast;

A tree who looks at God all day, and lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in summer wear, a nest of Robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain; who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me, but only God can make a tree. 

I have loved this poem since my mother read it to me as a child.  I do not worship trees and I don’t know of anyone who personally does.  God gave us trees for many uses and one is to enjoy.  So as you decorate your tree this year, remember that God is sending you a message and it is this; we should be filled with joy, clapping our hands and singing praises to God our Father, for sending us his Son, Jesus Christ.  God has created all things for our pleasure, even the fir tree.