THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF JOY

“While they were there, the time came for Mary to give birth. She gave birth to a son, her firstborn. She wrapped Him in a blanket and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room in the hostel. There were shepherds camping in the neighborhood. They had set night watches over their sheep. Suddenly, God’s angel stood among them and God’s glory blazed around them. They were terrified. The angel said, ‘Don’t be afraid. I’m here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: A Savior has just been born in David’s town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master. This is what you’re to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger.’”  (Luke 2:6-12 MSG)

Christmas is more than lights, gifts, and traditions -- it is the announcement of joy breaking into a weary world. The shepherds, ordinary men keeping watch in the dark, were the first to hear the angel’s proclamation of a “great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide.” This joy was not dependent on circumstances, wealth, or status. It was rooted in the arrival of Jesus, the Savior who came to bring peace, hope, and reconciliation.

Joy at Christmas is not fleeting happiness; it is the deep assurance that God has come near. In Christ, we discover that joy is not something we manufacture -- it is a gift we receive. Even in seasons of difficulty, the presence of Jesus brings a joy that sustains and strengthens. 

– Adapted from BibleStudyTools at Crosswalk.com

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OUR PLACE IN CHRIST’S REIGN

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not perish but may have eternal life.   Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him."  (John 3:16-17 NRSV)

The "world" that Jesus came to save is represented in the birth stories by two groups of people who could hardly be more varied: shepherds from the nearby hillsides and wealthy sages from a foreign land. Farmworkers and well-connected intellectuals, one group from the neighborhood and one who traveled from a far country. No one is a foreigner at the manger; no one is excluded because of economic class. God wants a full table at the heavenly banquet and is willing to look for dinner guests in unexpected places (Luke 14:15-24). Our place in Christ's reign means that we are willing to sit next to someone who appears at first to be alien to us but turns out to be a citizen, a member with us of God's own household. Embraced by this communion of love, we realize our call to the life of the Spirit and we enjoy the fullness of life that comes with Christ's reign of justice, mercy and peace. 

-- Blair Gilmer Meeks in “Expecting the Unexpected”

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LIVING A GOD-BEARING LIFE

“The angel went to Mary and said, ‘Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.’ Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; His kingdom will never end.’ ‘How will this be,’ Mary asked the angel, ‘since I am a virgin?’  The angel answered, ‘The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.’… ‘I am the Lord’s servant,’ Mary answered. ‘May your word to me be fulfilled.’ Then the angel left her.”  (Luke 1:28-38 NIV)

God’s favor is not something we earn; it is something we receive as a gift that must always be shared.

Mary’s story challenges those of us who have received the gift of a relationship with Jesus to be God-bearers to the rest of the world, believing that God’s grace always comes to us on its way to someone else. We bear the Christ, we share God’s grace, and we change the world when we take on Mary’s attitude of service and surrender. We would do well to memorize and use her response as we move about in the world every day…

You have a thousand tasks to do today and no time to do them. You want to crawl back in bed and pull the covers over your head. Imagine what would happen, though, if you started every day by saying, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord.” Chances are you would see problems as opportunities for God’s grace to shine through…

Where do you need to say, “Here am I, a servant of the Lord”? How can you be a God-bearer to your family, your neighbors, your co-workers, and others? 

-- Excerpted and adapted from “Come to the Manger” by Robert Kaylor

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GOOD NEWS FOR ALL

“When Jesus came to the village of Nazareth, His boyhood home, He went as usual to the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read the Scriptures. The scroll of Isaiah the prophet was handed to Him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where this was written: ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, for He has anointed Me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.’”  (Luke 4:16-19 NLT)

As we prepare for our traditional Christmas celebrations, let us remember those who will not be looking forward to this festival. Let us remember, too, how Jesus identified with the oppressed and the homeless. Let the joy of the season touch more of the people of our world this year than ever before. May God be glorified and may people of good will once again experience His peace. 

-- Denzil John

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THE GIFT BEYOND THE SALE

“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”  (Isaiah 9:6 NKJV)

The prophet Isaiah spoke of a Child who would carry the weight of the world on His shoulders, not through power or profit, but through love and sacrifice. This promise was fulfilled in Jesus Christ, the true gift of Christmas.

Yet, commercialization has obscured the meaning of Christmas. The commercial has become more important than the carol. The sales pitch more important than the Good News. What man has to sell more important than what God has given.

Advent is a season of waiting, of preparing our hearts for the coming King. But in a world where advertisements drown out hymns and shopping lists overshadow Scripture, we must choose to refocus. The world offers temporary satisfaction wrapped in shiny paper, but God offers eternal peace wrapped in swaddling clothes.

Isaiah’s words remind us that the true wonder of Christmas is not found in what we buy, but in Who was given. Jesus is the Wonderful Counselor who guides us, the Mighty God who saves us, the Everlasting Father who loves us, and the Prince of Peace who calms our restless hearts.

-- SOUND BITES Ministry™, compiled from a variety of sources 

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