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Luke 2:11-14
“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” God gave His Son to be born for you. God gave His Son to give His life for you. God gave. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” We exchange presents on Christmas because God gave us the greatest Gift through the giving of His Son, Jesus Christ, the Christ of Christmas. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” God’s greatest Gift is not for only a select group, but is available to anyone who will receive Him. For unto you. Whosoever will. Just like the gifts we receive today, this Gift is waiting to be received. God gave. Now we must give the Gospel to those around us, and they must decide whether to receive or reject Him. Why do we celebrate Christmas? Because “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son.” Without Jesus there would be no Christmas. Celebrate with family, friends, and your church family today. Celebrate Him. Happy Birthday to You, our Lord You spread Your love to the whole human race We are all nestled in Your sweet embrace You live in our hearts, so we sing to Your grace Happy Birthday to You, our Lord P. Zeller - E. Zeller Luke 2:15-20
“And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.” The shepherds could have kept the glad tidings to themselves, but they chose to tell the Good News to many people. Those that heard it could not help but wonder at what the shepherds told them. They had seen the glory of the Lord shone round about them as the angel spoke peace from the sky. They heard a multitude of heavenly host praising God. They quickly journeyed to Bethlehem to find all that had been told to them was true. A Saviour had been born. Christ the Lord had come. They had seen Him lying in a manger wrapped in swaddling clothes. Who wouldn’t want to share such wonderful news? What example the shepherds set for us! Yet every day we fail to make Christ known to those around us. We have a choice to make today: to tell of the Good News of the Gospel or keep it to ourselves. Scripture tells us that the shepherds returned to their field glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. When we share the Gospel, it will bring glory and praise to Him! Ephesians 1:12-14 “That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.” Make Him known today! Luke 2:8-10
“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.” Mary was the first to carry the Gospel, and the angel of the Lord was the first to preach the Gospel after Jesus had been born. Can you imagine the fright on the faces of the shepherds as a great Light shone round about them? The glory of the Lord was shining bright for them to see, yet they were afraid. The angel brought comfort and peace, saying, “Fear not: for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.” There is Joy in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Great joy! And this joy is not reserved for just a few or some…it is for all people. Remember the joy you felt when you first accepted Christ? If it seems lost, you can find it again. Psalm 51:12 “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.” If you’re fearful today, remember how the angel calmed the shepherds that night…by bringing them “good tidings of great joy”. Acts 20:24 “But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.” Share the Joy of the Gospel with someone else today. Luke 2:6-7
“And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.” Joseph and Mary had made it to Bethlehem from Galilee for the taxing. Mary was great with child. The Scripture does not mention specifically the pain that Mary went through or if there were complications to the birth. It simply says, “the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son”. The Son of God took His first breath upon this earth and Mary wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, which are none other than grave clothes. He came die. He knew He would not be here long, for His purpose was not to live. Matthew 20:28 “Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” When we go on a journey, we often find a hotel to stay in for the night. In Bethlehem there were no hotels, only an inn; however, there were no vacancies there. They had no room for Christ and His earthly parents. He was born and laid in a manger, a place where cattle feed. This lowly crib was the first place Christ would lay His head on this earth. His humility was evident from His very first breath to His very last on the cross where He willingly gave His life so that all may come to the Father. The innkeeper missed out on seeing the miracle of Jesus’ birth because he did not make room for Him. We are all innkeepers who choose whether or not to make room for Jesus in our lives. Think about what we have missed out on because we said there was no room for Him. Oh, we’ll invite Him in for salvation, but do we allow Him to have room in our day-to-day lives? 2 Corinthians 4:15-16 “For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.” Matthew 6:11 “Give us this day our daily bread.” Is there room for Him in your life today? Matthew 2:2
“Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.” These men were searching for Jesus. They had heard of Him; and wanted to meet Him and worship Him. It’s no wonder that Scripture refers to them as “wise men”. Wise men still seek Him today. Matthew 2:9-10 “When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.” The star led them to Jesus. Contrary to many nativity scenes we find in stores today, the wise men did not visit Jesus at the manger. It is believed their visit occurred within the first two years after Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem. Scripture called Jesus a young child, likely a toddler, during this time. The wise men followed the star until it guided them to the house where Jesus and the family was and when they came into His presence, they fell down to their knees in worship to Him. They gave the very best treasures they had to show the honor and reverence they had for Him. Matthew 2:11 “And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh.” Where is Christ in our lives? Seek Him today. Give Him your life for Him to use for His glory. Shine your Light today so that others may come to Him. Matthew 5:14-16 “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Luke 1:46-50
“And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name. And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.” Mary not only accepted the Lord’s purpose for her life, she rejoiced in it. She knew that the task ahead of her was far too great for her to bear on her own; she knew it was of the Lord and for His glory. The God that can do the impossible had chosen her for His will to be accomplished in the birth of His Son, Jesus Christ. Through Mary, the earthly Gospel record began. Before the foundation of the world, God had a plan that He would send His only begotten Son to be born of a woman. He had to be born so that we could be born again. John 3:3 “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” We must remember our need for a Saviour and the trust we placed in His finished work on Calvary and His resurrection. We too can magnify Him and say, “For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.” May we rejoice today in the great things Christ has done in our lives. Luke 1:37-38
“For with God nothing shall be impossible. And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.” Engaged to a carpenter, Mary was planning her wedding and new life with her future husband, Joseph. Her plans changed when Gabriel visited and declared that she had been chosen by God to bring forth the Son of God. She was an ordinary woman whom God chose to do extraordinary things through. Mary was chosen to suffer for the cause of Christ. “be it unto me according to thy word” Mary accepted her calling. She not only made herself available to be used, but she was also willing to bare the cost of her divinely appointed task. Romans 8:18 “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” Think of the physical pain she suffered during His birth, and the emotional pain during His crucifixion & death. She was the only one who was there to witness both. What pain this mother must have experienced; but she willingly accepted it in order to fulfill God’s purpose in her life and even ours. 1 Peter 3:19 “But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.” Mary was willing to allow the Lord to use her life for His glory. What are we willing to endure for the cause of Christ? May we have the faith to say as Mary did, “be it unto me according to thy word.” Luke 1:34-35
“Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.” No other woman had ever been in Mary’s situation before…nor has any since for that matter, “How shall this be”. How many times have we asked the same question that Mary did? Can we not relate with Mary on her confusion after receiving news that seemed absolutely impossible to occur? Abraham and Sarah must have felt similar to Mary after they were promised to have a son in their old age. How shall this be? They even thought they had to manipulate the situation in order for it to happen. They were impatient and took matters into their own hands…and look at the outcome. Even after the birth of Ishmael, God gave them Isaac just as He had promised. Instead of manipulating, Mary trusted. Just like the angel began to further explain to her how this would happen, we have been given the Word of God to give us evidence to believe that God can do the impossible. When we are faced with what seems like an impossibility, we must remember that God has ordained the circumstance within our life, just as He did in Mary’s. He not only has a purpose, He has a plan. Our part in it is simply to trust and obey Him, just as Mary did. If you are questioning, “How shall this be?” today, you can rest in the example that Mary has set for us. Although she questioned what was happening, she allowed God to show her He had a plan. Trust God’s plan and allow Him to work the impossible through you today. Luke 1:37 “For with God nothing shall be impossible.” Luke 1:28-33
“And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.” Out of all the women ever created, God chose Mary to be the mother of Jesus. “highly favoured” This refers to obtaining grace. Mary had been found to be graciously accepted to birth God in the flesh. She had not known a man, because the blood of man could not be involved in the redeeming of the souls of mankind. The blood of a baby comes from the father. The Holy Ghost came upon her to conceive within her the blood of the Father required to redeem us from our sins. She had been given the special honor of literally feeling the Gift of God move within her. Favoured Grace. I John 4:9 “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.” She was predestinated to be the mother of Jesus. God had chosen her to be the vessel who carried the Son of God into the world so that we might have life in Him. We are accepted through the blood of Jesus. He has chosen us to be one of His. Favoured Grace. Ephesians 1:3-7 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;” Mary was the first to carry the Gospel. The Living Word grew inside of her, just as God desires the Word of God to grow within us. May we carry the favoured grace of God today to those around us. |
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