The Message of Christmas

The Message of Christmas

 

The sun rose slowly over the hills and soon the lowing of the sheep penetrated their sleep. They sat up, rubbing their eyes.  One stood and began to stir the smoldering ashes, adding wood to the fire.  The air was very cold this morning.  No one had spoken yet; the silence was almost eerie and it seemed a shame to break into it. 

            Then Josiah cleared his throat and spoke quietly to the others, “I am wondering if I had a dream last night about the sky being full of angels; we were all terrified.  Then went down into Bethlehem and found a stable with a newborn baby lying in one of the mangers.”

 The others looked at him and one by one they spoke and proclaimed it was not a dream, but it had really happened.  Then they all began talking excitedly.

            “I also thought it was a dream but when I think about that little baby we saw in the stable, I know it was true”, exclaimed Benjamin, the youngest shepherd.  He was just a boy, but clearly had an understanding of what he had seen.  “That wasn’t just any baby, you know; the angels said he was the Savior; the one spoken of in the scriptures!”

            “What about all the angels, did you ever see anything like that in your life?  I’ve never heard of anyone who has seen the wonder of what we saw,” added Matthias excitedly.

            Then Jacob, the head shepherd stood and spoke to the others, “I believe we were chosen by Jehovah to see this amazing thing that has happened and we are to go tell everyone we meet about it.  Let us pass on the message the angels gave to us; “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"  The long-awaited Savior has come to earth; the Christ!”

            The boy, Benjamin, jumped up and grabbing his staff said, “His mother and father said his name was to be Jesus.  I will never forget that name.” 

            Filled with excitement and great joy, the shepherds hurried off to tell others what they had seen and heard.

            That was the first Christmas morning.  When we awake on this Christmas morning, what will be on our minds?  Will it be like the shepherds who talked among themselves, “Joy to the World; the Lord has come!” Or will our heads be filled with presents, lots of food and how we are going to spend the day? When we get together with family and friends will our conversation be about the next football game; a Christmas movie we saw, or will we talk about the fact that Jesus, our Savior was born to save us from our sins?  Will we be thankful that because of him we can spend eternity in heaven; and have the assurance that he will come again?

            I, for one, am determined when I open my eyes this Christmas morning to thank God for sending his son, Jesus to be our Savior.  Help us not to compromise as the world does by thinking only about gifts and fun, although there is nothing wrong in that; as long as we keep Jesus first in Christmas.

            I believe every family, or even if you are alone, should read about the birth of the Christ child from Luke 2:1-20 on Christmas Day.  What hope and joy it will give you.

            We should also make it a tradition to greet one another on Christmas by saying, as the angels did, “Joy to the World; the Lord has come.”  I think I will add, “And He is coming again!”

 

May you be blessed this Christmas as you share the ‘Good News’!