Luke 2:8-20
8 That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”
13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”15 When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
16 They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger.17 After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. 18 All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, 19 but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. 20 The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.
Christmas is a season not a day. Advent season, or Christmas season is the set apart time where we position our hearts to focus on the first coming of Christ. The moment when the hope of the world, the Savior, was revealed in a lowly manger in Bethlehem. My heart jumps with excitement whenever I ponder the implications of it. In the messiest of situations, God enters the world with hope and a promise of restoration and salvation. During this season we are acutely reminded of and hold tight to our hope that Jesus’ love is revealed in even the messiest of circumstances.
Customarily, among believers we fill this time with celebration and times of fellowship that keep this promise of hope fore front in our minds. At First Church, the calendar is jam packed, with opportunities for outreach, fellowship and a special service to provide ample opportunities for us to be together as a family, focused on Jesus' presence, and the great sign of the nativity that was revealed 2000 years ago. Although the season is busy and can maybe feel just a little overwhelming, it's important to remind ourselves of the main point. Which is… Jesus…plain and simple. Our desire to celebrate and engage with His presence as a Church family, and also the opportunity to invite people in our greater community outside the Church into the great celebration of His birth. Christmas season is both a time of great fellowship and Church community but also a unique opportunity for evangelism.
In many ways we are like the shepherds in Luke 2, humbled, overwhelmed with joy, celebrating the great revelation of Messiah's birth, but also we are to go out into the community on fire with all we have experienced inviting others to come and see the Savior of the world. It really is a unique time for us as a Church. My hope as Pastor is that we recognize that and step into joy with awareness of all that is possible. So as we dive headlong into the Christmas season, stay focused on the main point…Jesus!! Also, try to participate in all the festivities as you can, and feel free to invite others who have not yet experienced Him, to come celebrate with us.
Love,
Pastor John
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