WORD From The Woods
Over the next few weeks, as we prepare to celebrate the Christmas holiday, I’d like take take a look at the true heart of Christmas. This week I’d like to look at the familiar passage in Luke’s Gospel about the birth of Christ.
Luke 2:1-21
“In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and 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 among those with whom he is pleased!”
When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.”
This passage is probably very familiar to most of us. It’s often read on Christmas Eve with family and friends sitting around the Christmas tree or shared in a Christmas Eve service by the pastor at your local church. If your like me, it brings back warm, wonderful memories of my childhood and the excitement and anticipation of waking up Christmas morning to open presents and spend the day with my family. These are all good and wonderful things, but as much as we try, as Christians we still very much buy into the selfish commercialism of the Christmas season. Somehow we think if we just read a story about the birth of Jesus and put a Nativity scene on display that we are keeping Christ at the center of it all. But, I’d ask you to really examine your heart and seek God to see if Christ is really at the center of your heart this Christmas season. The word Christ is thought by many in this day and age to simply be the last name of Jesus, but it was a term that held awesome life changing meaning for the people at the time of His birth. The word Christ is the greek rendering of the Hebrew word Messiah, it means anointed one. The Christ of Christmas is the long awaited Messiah who fulfilled all the types and shadows of Old Testament prophecy. God’s people had been waiting for the coming Messiah for thousands of years. Ever since Adam and Eve chose to break their relationship with God by rebelling against Him in the Garden of Eden, mankind has been plagued by a life of perpetual sin. The only hope of restoring that broken relationship and having eternal life with the Creator was though the promised Messiah. As we spend the next few busy weeks preparing for Christmas, please take the time to make sure your family and friends understand the significance of who the Christ of Christmas really is and truly keep Him at the center of it all. Giving gifts is a great way to communicate the love that God gifted to this broken world through sending His Son. The evergreen trees that we decorate with lights and display in our homes are a symbol of Christ, who is the Light go the world and the only way to everlasting life. Don’t let another Christmas pass without using it as a way to point your family and friends back to Christ, the true heart of Christmas!
God bless, merry Christmas and have a great week! -Terry-
Over the next few weeks, as we prepare to celebrate the Christmas holiday, I’d like take take a look at the true heart of Christmas. This week I’d like to look at the familiar passage in Luke’s Gospel about the birth of Christ.
Luke 2:1-21
“In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and 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 among those with whom he is pleased!”
When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.”
This passage is probably very familiar to most of us. It’s often read on Christmas Eve with family and friends sitting around the Christmas tree or shared in a Christmas Eve service by the pastor at your local church. If your like me, it brings back warm, wonderful memories of my childhood and the excitement and anticipation of waking up Christmas morning to open presents and spend the day with my family. These are all good and wonderful things, but as much as we try, as Christians we still very much buy into the selfish commercialism of the Christmas season. Somehow we think if we just read a story about the birth of Jesus and put a Nativity scene on display that we are keeping Christ at the center of it all. But, I’d ask you to really examine your heart and seek God to see if Christ is really at the center of your heart this Christmas season. The word Christ is thought by many in this day and age to simply be the last name of Jesus, but it was a term that held awesome life changing meaning for the people at the time of His birth. The word Christ is the greek rendering of the Hebrew word Messiah, it means anointed one. The Christ of Christmas is the long awaited Messiah who fulfilled all the types and shadows of Old Testament prophecy. God’s people had been waiting for the coming Messiah for thousands of years. Ever since Adam and Eve chose to break their relationship with God by rebelling against Him in the Garden of Eden, mankind has been plagued by a life of perpetual sin. The only hope of restoring that broken relationship and having eternal life with the Creator was though the promised Messiah. As we spend the next few busy weeks preparing for Christmas, please take the time to make sure your family and friends understand the significance of who the Christ of Christmas really is and truly keep Him at the center of it all. Giving gifts is a great way to communicate the love that God gifted to this broken world through sending His Son. The evergreen trees that we decorate with lights and display in our homes are a symbol of Christ, who is the Light go the world and the only way to everlasting life. Don’t let another Christmas pass without using it as a way to point your family and friends back to Christ, the true heart of Christmas!
God bless, merry Christmas and have a great week! -Terry-