The Bible says that angels announced the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ to humble shepherds on the Judean hills. That holy, memorable night probably started no differently from other nights that shepherds had spent under the stars. Darkness had fallen on a cold, crisp evening. The flocks had been gathered and the shepherds kept watch to protect them from the constant threat of roving wolves and ravaging bandits. The shepherds, poor and relatively insignificant men, had followed the same routine of their predecessors for many generations.
That night, however, turned out to be radically different from all others. The dull routine of their lives was suddenly and dramatically interrupted by the appearance of an angel who brought a message to them; a message that the entire Jewish nation had longed for and had anxiously waited. The message was:
. . . Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.
(Luke 2:10-11).
Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord
This exciting event is repeated every time we remember the Christmas Story. The Bible tells us that a multitude of angels praising God joined the heralding angel saying: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests” (Luke 2:14). Having received the message, the shepherds left immediately for Bethlehem, and there they found the young child lying in a manger. They were so sure that they had found the Promised Messiah that they told everyone they met of His Birth.
An Amazing Story
What an amazing story! The Birth of the Son of God, announced by the Christmas angels, to a group of humble shepherds! It is astonishment beyond our understanding – that the Great Creator should become our Saviour; the Maker of this vast universe, the Infinite, the Everlasting, the Omnipotent, the All-Knowing God, should come into this sinful world and take upon Himself the form of man. The Bible says: “And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:8).
What is even more amazing is that the Infinite who became an infant, the Ancient of Days who became a child, the Ever Blessed One who became a man of sorrows, should condescend even further than Bethlehem’s manager, to be born in the stable of the human heart. That this could really happen, is a wonder, is a marvel, is stunning, and is beyond our wildest imagination!
Bethlehem’s manger was dirty, but the dirt was morally neutral. We cannot apply this argument to mankind. We are morally culpable. In our lost condition, outside of Christ, we are rebels and guilty sinners whose hearts are filled with iniquity. The Bible says: “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). It is a mystery that the Holy Son of God could be born into this chamber of deceit, guilt, condemnation, and rebellion; that He would come into the corrupted shrines of our hearts, filled with dead men’s bones, habitations for evil, and here the Altogether Lovely One, would make His home. This makes Christmas the greatest joy that there ever was, or ever will be.
No single event can bring out the real meaning of Christmas. Rather, it takes at least three symbols to tell the meaning to the fullest.
The Cradle
The first symbol is the cradle. The mystery of the Incarnation, our wonderful Lord Jesus Christ taking the form of flesh, is at the heart of the Christian faith. The Bible says: “Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great: He appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory” (1 Timothy 3:16). God in a cradle! God in human form! God in the Person of a tiny infant!
The Prophetic Name for the baby Jesus was Emmanuel, which means: “God with us.” The following words are familiar to many of us: “and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn” (Luke 2:7).
The True Starman
There is an interesting movie entitled, “Starman.” It is so called because the story centers on one, who is believed to have come from outer space. This mysterious figure has with him a crystal ball. Whenever he is in any difficulty whatever, he takes it out and gazes intently at it. Instantly he is transformed into someone like the Incredible Hulk or Wonder Woman. He suddenly receives superhuman power.
Our Lord Jesus Christ is really the only true Starman from outer space. He was born contrary to the laws of nature in a cradle at Bethlehem two thousand years ago. When we gaze upon Him intently, we receive supernatural power to become the sons and daughters of God and we are empowered to live triumphantly. The Bible says: “But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law” (Galatians 4:4). This Visitor from outer space was the Only Begotten Son of God, the Mighty God of creation, who came to walk in human flesh on this earth.
Bethlehem’s Manger
All the hopes and dreams of a dying world were cradled in Bethlehem’s manger on that first Christmas night. Those little hands that clasped the straw in His manger’s crib were soon to touch and open blinded eyes, to unstop deaf ears, and to cleanse the lepers. The cooing voice of the baby Jesus was soon to be lifted to command demons to depart, to calm the troubled seas, to teach men and women the way to eternal life and to raise the dead. Those tiny feet were soon to take Him to the sick and needy and finally to be pierced on the Cross of Calvary.
Bethlehem’s manger became the link that bound a lost and dying world to a loving, living God. The Bible says: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us . . .” (John 1:14). Because of this, we should no longer feel alienated from God; that we are existing on a dark sphere called earth, whirling through space, while God is in some far distant corner of the universe.
Christmas means that God is interested in the affairs of people; that God loves us so much that He was willing to give His Only Begotten Son. The Bible says: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
Christmas, A Glorious Reality
Christmas is not a myth, not a tradition, not a dream; it is a glorious reality.
We so lustily sing the carol:
O little town of Bethlehem!
How still we see thee lie,
Above thy deep, and dreamless sleep,
The silent stars go by,
Yet in thy dark streets shineth,
The everlasting light,
The hopes and fears of all the years,
Are met in thee tonight.
This carol is more than a mere sentiment; rather, it is a solid fact. Christmas is not just a season; it is a reason. From Bethlehem’s manger came the Man, who not only taught us a new way of life but who brought us into a new relationship with our Creator; the Man who was Eternal Life Himself.
Christmas is a time of joy. However, we must ensure that it is not a pagan joy generated by the expectation of exchanging gifts or engaging in revelry. The real happiness of Christmas is in the fact that Christ was born, that “. . . God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ . . .” (2 Corinthians 5:19).
Millions of people will have fun this Christmas season. My big question is: “Will they know the true joy that Christmas can bring?” They really cannot know it, without knowing the One, Who is the Source of joy.
What joy can the millions of children who live on the streets of our world, hungry and helpless, with no purpose in life and with dismal hope for the future, exploited by people with evil intentions, have? What joy can the thousands of people groups around the world that have never heard of the Christ of Christmas have? What real Christmas joy can two-thirds of the world’s six billion plus people have, when they do not know Christ? They can have no Christmas joy without our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the reason for the season.
The history of the early church shows that the first Franciscans were reproved for laughing in church, they were so happy. These pioneers were so overflowing with joy that they stormed the unbelieving world with joyful songs. They even set some of them to folk tunes.
Joy is a fruit of the Spirit that every true child of God, who is walking in obedience to the King of Kings, has. The Bible says:
. . .the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
(Galatians 5:22-23).
gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law
From this cradle came the possibility of true joy for all who receive Him as Saviour and Lord. Well, does the songwriter say:
Joy to the world! The Lord is come,
Let earth receive her King,
Let every heart, prepare Him room,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven and heaven and nature sing.
The Cross
The second symbol that throws a clear light on the true meaning of Christmas is the cross. It is not possible to ignore Calvary and to celebrate Christmas meaningfully. On that first Christmas morning, there was joy with a shadow, joy with over-tones of sadness, for Jesus was born to die. As He approached the Cross, our Lord Jesus said: “. . . the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28).
Christmas was the prelude to Good Friday. The Bible says: “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners . . .” (1 Timothy 1:15). All that Christ did on earth was incidental to His crowning act of redemption on Golgotha’s brow. Just as the winter’s moonlight shone through the crossbeams of the stable, the shadow of the cross fell on the manger of Bethlehem. As we celebrate Christmas, the Cross continues to interpose itself in our celebrations. We dare not ignore the Cross and celebrate Christmas in any meaningful way.
For Christians, the joy of Christmas is not restricted to His Birth, as miraculous and wonderful as it was. The true Christmas joy is also built on the supernatural triumph of His Sacrificial Death and on His Glorious Resurrection. These divinely ordered events give meaning to His Birth.
The mysterious and marvelous spirit of generosity that possesses us at Christmas time is really an afterglow of Calvary, where Christ gave us the ultimate Gift of His Sinless Life for our redemption. The fact of the Cross brightens Christmas and hallows it. As we exchange our gifts this Christmas, let us remember that they are symbolic of the unspeakable Gift of God’s Only Begotten Son.
Christmas means goodwill. The goodwill that the angels spoke of did not come immediately after His Birth. Instead, Herod hated Him bitterly and desperately sought His life. The Pharisees tried to kill Him. Men went on hating and murdering, but after His Atoning Death, mysterious and supernatural things began to happen in the lives of His followers. No more did Peter take up a sword in anger. Once Saul of Tarsus realized what had really happened at Calvary, he no longer persecuted the followers of Christ. Instead, he was himself severely persecuted for his Lord. A miraculous, spirit of goodwill, never before known in the world, came to the hearts of all those who received Him. They heard him say on the Cross: “. . . Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing . . . Luke 23:34) and this revolutionized their thinking. They received His indescribable love, His sweet forgiveness, and their lives were supernaturally changed. How we need that spirit of goodwill today!
A destructive wave of ill will sweeps over the world today. Very sadly, it is even so in some so-called Christian circles. There can be no real celebration of Christmas where ill will prevails, where families, Churches, and nations are divided. The ground beneath the Cross is level and when we stand there, we can hold nothing but goodwill toward all men.
What Christmas can the starving, destitute, war-ridden people of the world have? The world can find the solution to its pressing problems only in the Cross of Christ, for this produces goodwill in the hearts of men.
The Crown
The third symbol that helps us to understand the meaning of Christmas is the crown. Centuries before Christ was born, Isaiah, the Prophet, envisioned the first Christmas, in the coming of Israel’s King. He said: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). The Bible also says: “The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he comes . . . ” (Genesis 49:10).
On the first Christmas morning, God’s Prince of Peace, the Heir to the Throne of Heaven, was cradled in the manger. Toward the end of His life, as Jesus hung on the Cross, they placed a superscription over Him in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew, the great languages of the world: “. . . “THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS” (Luke 23:38).
How little did they realize that in a few short hours, He would not only be King of the Jews, but He would be King over death, hell, and the grave! His glorious Resurrection is an eternal testimony that He is Lord. As He ascended into heaven, His disciples gazed in the direction in which He had disappeared into the cloud. Just then, two men in white apparel stood by them and said: “Men of Galilee . . . why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11).
The great Anglican Clergyman, Dean Farrar, related how Queen Victoria, after hearing one of her chaplains preach at Windsor Castle on “The Return of Jesus Christ,” commented: “Oh, how I wish the Lord would come during my lifetime.” The Chaplain asked: “Why does your Majesty feel this earnest desire?” Her countenance lit up with deep emotion as she replied: “Because I should so love to lay my crown at His Feet.”
Christ is King of kings and Lord of lords. He is coming back one day. As the shadows lengthen throughout the world and the human race rushes blindly towards destruction, we have a blessed hope based on the fact that Christ is coming back to this earth to set up His Kingdom. He will not return as a Babe in Bethlehem’s manger. The next time He comes, it will be in a blaze of glory. His holy angels will be with Him. He will sit on His Rightful Throne and will be crowned as Lord of all. This will be the glorious climax to human history.
There is more to Christmas than the Birth and Death of Christ. There is also the ultimate triumph of God’s Kingdom. A Biblical quotation, yet unfulfilled, is placed on a statue on the United Nations building in Manhattan. It reads: “. . . He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore” (Isaiah 2:4).
This is a thrilling thought. The passage speaks of the time when the Messiah will reign over the whole earth. This is the era that Jesus taught us in the Model Prayer to pray: “Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come” (Luke 11:2). This is the time when He, who came as the baby of Bethlehem, shall come as King of kings and Lord of lords.
At His Birth, He was laid in a manger; at His Death, He wore a crown of thorns, but when He comes again, He will be Commander-in-Chief of the armies of Heaven. He will take control of this war-weary world, He will bring the permanent peace that the world longs for and He will establish a new world order.
Application
The King is coming and when He comes, He will destroy sin, He will wipe away the tears from our eyes, He will destroy all diseases forever, He will solve the crime problem eternally and He will finally remove the plague of death from the human scene. Nation shall no longer lift up sword against Nation and war shall be no more. What a glorious day it will be!
This is the marvelous promise of Christmas. This is our blessed and glorious hope. This is the Christmas star that lights our evening’s darkness. This is the assurance that a new day is coming, through the Messiah, whose Name Isaiah, the Prophet, calls: “. . . Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). This is Christmas, God’s Gift to us all!
Merry Christmas to you! Amen.
