Several things have recently occurred to me or been suggested by others. I just have to share them. The first was a story by Paul Harvey, repeated by David Jeremiah. A guy was at home on a stormy Christmas Eve and noticed some birds trying to get into his living room window. They could see the light and recognized that it meant heat and safety. So he went outside and opened the door to his barn and even scattered some bread crumbs and birdseed to “lead” them into the shelter.
But, as soon as he emerged from the house, they were frightened and scattered. And nothing he could do would entice them into the safety of the barn. He realized that they were afraid of him and did not know that this immense, imposing figure could possibly be the source of their safety and security.
After many futile attempts to woo them or shoo them into safety, he thought to himself, “If only I could be a bird and tell them that there is safety and no danger in the barn.” Then it struck him that he had stumbled onto the meaning of Christmas. (Sounds like a good lesson there. See you on Jan 3. Smiley face) God knew that the only way that He could communicate with man was to become a man, Himself. And there you have the Reason for the Season. Amen.
Second thought: As we contemplate the disruption of our schedules, we might think back about 2000 years. A young, first-time pregnant girl was required to make an 85-90 mile trek from Nazareth to Bethlehem in her ninth month. All of the Ubers were out of service, so she either walked or took the “donkey express.” (Not related to the “Polar Express.”)
Talk about a “holiday disruption.” And, to her, it was not even a holiday. She and her husband had to make the arduous trip in order to be assessed for their share of taxes to support the Roman emperor. “Sigh,” as my sister likes to say.
So when we do not get to enjoy the normal seasonal activities, we might think back to this, at best, mid-teen girl who made an extreme sacrifice to play a part of the first story in our meditation. What were her words? Oh yes, “...may it be done to me according to your word.”
Let our approach and attitude toward the inconvenience of the upset schedule match that of this young lady. And, we might as well throw in her likewise obedient and dedicated husband. Amen.
And to top off our thoughts, we turn to Chuck Swindoll. His Christmas comments included the comparison of Covid with sin. Both started with one person and infected the whole world.
Adam sinned in the Garden and his sin has since infected and infested the entire human population. Romans 5:19 spells it out for us.
For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.
We all contracted the disease that will result in certain death unless we have the “antidote” administered. Sounds slightly familiar, doesn’t it? And check out the final phrase of Romans 5:19.
...through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.
The “being made righteous” means that the death penalty is not commuted, or pardoned, or even removed by acquittal. We are guilty and bound for death–eternal death, separated from God. But He became a man, like our bird-loving friend above. And He didn’t just show us the way to “safety,” but removed the threat of death from our lives. What a God! What a Savior! What a Deliverer! Amen!
Christmas is not just a time of gift giving, as great as even the gift of salvation is. It is a time of total transformation. He changed our sin-cursed existence. It was one that, just as surely as an untreated, severe case of Covid, would lead to death. Only Covid is a physical death. Sin-death is spiritual, eternal, and complete. We are condemned to be separated from Our Father in Heaven, forever. There is no escape, no relief.
“But God,” don’t you just love that phrase? But God, literally stepped into humanity, paid the price for our transgression, and made it possible for us to be “sheltered,” with Him forever. That is where the story above breaks down. The bird-lover did not “invite” the birds into his own house. He sent, or tried to send them, to the barn. God invites us to join Him in His house, forever. Glory. Amen.
Have a Blessed and Merry Christmas.
Addendum to Christmas Thoughts:
Thanks to Colin Smith and Adrian Rogers we get the final, for now, anyway, thoughts for Christmas. One character or set of characters that was involved in Jesus’ birth also showed up later in His life. Recall that both Mary and Joseph had the birth announced to them ahead of time. And angel informed them both that they would be the parents of a virgin-born Boy. What a shock and privilege. Never been done before–or after.
Incidentally, a Joseph has been instrumental in God’s plans from almost the beginning of His interactions with Abraham and his seed. First, a Joseph went to Egypt to prepare the way to save the lives of the entire nation. (Genesis 37, 45, and 50) Then, after Jesus was born, another Joseph took the Baby to Egypt to save His life, only not from starvation this time, but from the homicidal plans of an insane ruler. Finally, a third Joseph provided the tomb in which He was laid after the “Passover offering” on Calvary. (Mark 15, Luke 22, John 19)
But no “Joseph” will be needed for the “rest of the story,” as Paul Harvey likes to say. But, as we will see in a minute, an angel will be involved. Meanwhile, back to our meditation.
An angel announced the coming birth to Joseph and Mary. Then, in Luke 2 a multitude of angels announced the birth of the Savior to the shepherds. More angels were involved here, and we would be wise to “hearken to what they said.”
Then after Jesus had been crucified and raised from the dead, an angel of two announced to another Mary, and Peter and John that, “He is not here, for He is risen!” This is the third angel announcement about His life. But that is not all.
When Jesus went back to heaven in Acts 1, another angel “announced” what they had seen with their own eyes. Jesus had ascended to heaven and the angel prophesied that Jesus would come back in the same way that they had seen Him go.
Just a thought. This cannot be the Glorious Return in Revelation 19, because He will come on a white horse with a sword to slay His enemies. The return prophesied by the angel is a peaceful one, to take His own with Him back to heaven as Paul spelled out for us in 1 Corinthians 15 and I Thessalonians 4:16.
And our final announcement is when another angel will proclaim the time of this return, the Rapture. I’m starting to get excited. Note that He is returning with a shout this time, not a sword, as noted above. The “sword-return” will have to wait for a while. But, just as the other prophecies were specifically and completely fulfilled, so this one will be exactly as predicted. Get ready. I’m going in the first “call up.”
Jesus’ time on earth was bracketed by angel announcements. Nothing else in history received so much attention from the angelic realm. And their fascination with this event is more than warranted. He came to save the whole world, as we saw in our Hebrews 2 study. Not everyone will accept Him, but, to those who received Him, believed on Him, He gave the right to become the children of God. (Thanks for the explanation, John. (1:12) )
I received. I believed. And I am waiting for the call home. Our Father in heaven is awaiting our arrival. Glory! And so are the angels. (Remember, they “longed to look into these things.” 1 Peter 1:12) Merry Christmas. He is coming again.
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