In less than a week we will be celebrating the birth of Emmanuel – God with us – Jesus – who came to save us from our sin. O, the wonder of Christmas.
There are many wonders of Christmas. From the angels that lit up the sky and brought the good news to some lowly shepherds on a hillside to lit Christmas trees with angels decorating their tops; from the greatest present given in the miraculous virgin birth of God’s only begotten Son to the presents found in stockings and given in various ways to those we care about; from reading the Christmas story to sharing the idea of “Peace on earth, goodwill to men” though carols, cards, and the spoken word, Christmas is truly wonderment.
Yet, with all of the spectacular eye and mind catching Christmas happenings, we must consciously move beyond the wonders themselves; let us, like Mary, ponder these things in our heart. The ponder of Christmas moves beyond the outward wonders to consider what these things mean – for ourselves, the world, and how they relate to God’s wondrous gospel. Oh, to ponder on the virgin birth; John’s words in his gospel of how “the word was made flesh, and dwelt among us…full of grace and truth” (1:14); the mystery given to us, “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col. 1:26-27); and the list goes on and on. Mary had many things to ponder; we have many more this side of Calvary.
When we take time to ponder on those things above and on the truth of the Advent story, we can’t help but to do as the shepherds did enroute from the stable back to the hillside: “glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them” (Luke 2:20). The shepherds didn’t care who heard them, saw them, or what was thought of them. Because they had experienced and pondered on what had been told them and what they had seen, they were excited about what had taken place.
How about us? Are we truly so excited about what has taken place at the First Advent and how we have first-hand experienced its wonders that we can’t help but praise God and glorify Him? Every person we meet has a precious soul; the truth of Christmas – those good tidings of great joy – should spill out of us, to those around us.
This week’s Decency Minutes (DM) deal with the truth of Christmas, even the gift-giving of the Frontline found in our first DM. Share the joy of Christmas with others, even those who have previously rejected the gospel.
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This Christmas, our family has my little one year old granddaughter to enjoy.
She’s climbing mountains of presents, plucking ornaments off the tree, and gazing in wonder at Christmas lights.
For her, there are no traditions; nothing is familiar; everything is full of wonder.
Oh, to experience Christmas with such wide-eyed curiosity!
As she grows, it will be our privilege to explain how the gifts we give remind us of Christ’s generosity towards us; the unfading evergreen needles remind us of eternal life, and the tree itself points towards Heaven. The ornaments we place on the tree remind us Christ’s undoing the effects of the fall, as we mimic putting the fruit back on the tree.
And the Christmas lights remind us that Christ is the Light that shines in the darkness, and the darkness could not overcome it.
Christmas is a time of great joy, yet it can also be a painful time.
God’s Word says: I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
Yet, there’s no greater sorrow when the opposite is true.
Many Christian parents and grandparents find their hearts broken as they gather with family during the Christmas season and hear of loved ones who have compromised their Christian walk or who have rejected the faith altogether. Young people who were taught God’s Word – now dishonor the Lord in their lifestyle and beliefs.
The battle for hearts and minds is crucial. By God’s grace, may you and I be witnesses to those around us. Share the message of salvation, demonstrate love, and speak truth.
And never stop praying that God will turn the hearts of our unbelieving loved ones to Him.
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