Luke 2:9
"And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid."
Sitting under the lights of the Christmas tree cannot compare to experiencing the light of the glorious gospel! Soon after Christmas, the lights will come down. The music will change. The festivities will cease. And life will move on into another year and most will live by the same old, mundane tune. Unless you are a Christian and you decide to live under the light of Calvary's cross, the glory of the Lord continues to shine!
The Christian now and for always experiences the light of HIS GLORY because His gift is eternal.
While many around the world are celebrating Christmas this month and preparing our hearts and minds to behold the beauty of Jesus, sometimes, however, the celebrations in our hearts are less enthusiastic than all the lights and songs that surround us. Our hearts do not always explode with fireworks at the joy of the Incarnation. Instead, they often flicker like the feeble rays of dimming Christmas candle.
Why do we so often lack passion for Christ at Christmas? Most of the times we get our eyes on the earthly celebrations rather than the Scriptural aspect of Christ's first coming. The world at large has been hard at work for a long time removing "Christ" from Christmas. They have offered a variety of options through television, movies, music, and festivities that say, "You don't have to believe in Christ or accept Him in order to have a merry Christmas." But the truth is, there is no "Christmas" without Christ. He is the reason for the season. Christmas merely introduces us to what Easter is all about!
One of the great problems facing the Christian today is spiritual complacency. One expects the world to be complacent toward Christ; but when complacency reaches into the church and the individual Christian heart, there is a serious problem. I've sadly met many Christians who are Bah-humbug every time Christmas rolls around. In one sense, I get it. Some are just not the decorating type. Some are not the festive or celebratory type. Others, unfortunately, have hurtful memories during this season. We cannot quickly dismiss those feelings in the hearts of many people we love and care about. They are real, legitimate hurts, fears, and memories that swell up during the seasons of Thanksgiving and Christmas. We must speak to those hurts and seek to use the Scriptures and the Spirit's leading in addressing them in a timely, compassionate manner. But all in all, for the Christian, spiritual complacency of any sort is a danger. It drags us down when the Holy Spirit seeks to lift us up above the shadows of despair.
I believe Colossians 1:1-3 is one of the most important passages in the Bible for the modern-day Christian. Paul says, "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God." The songwriter said it this way: "Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace." That is the key to avoiding spiritual complacency during Christmas. We are seeking to look unto Jesus (Hebrews 12:2). As we look to Him and fix our hearts and minds on Him, the light of the glory that is His alone will shine into our hearts.
2 Peter 1:19
We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
2 Corinthians 4:6
For God, who commanded the light toshineout of darkness, hathshined in ourhearts, togivethe light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
We need not be complacent about sin in our lives.
We need not be complacent about the Savior of our lives.
We need not be complacent about shining His light forth from the life we live everyday.
Consider a few things:
I. What Christmas Says About Our Sin
You probably don't hear much preaching or teaching about sin. I'm sure the conversations around the Thanksgiving table or the Christmas table are not topics dealing with the subject of sin. Much like Scrooge (A Christmas Carol) was prompted by visitor from another world to awake from his apathy, we too need the Holy Spirit of God to shake us from the complacency of our selfish slumber.
Luke 2:8-9
8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
I do think there was an element of surprise coupled with fear when the shepherds were under the bright and shining light of the glory of God when the angel announced Christ's birth. Perhaps, to a degree, it caught them off guard. But I believe that in that moment they also stood in awe of the glory of God and by that, saw themselves as sinners in the presence of God. How can we assume something like this? I believe we can compare their encounter with the encounter Saul of Tarsus had on the Damascus Road in Acts 9:1-9. And suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: and he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?
Saul didn't stand up to that Light. Saul didn't denounce that Light. He couldn't. It was so bright it knocked him down. In other words, it put him in his proper place.
Job would confess, "I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Wehrefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes" (Job 42:5-6). Consider the words of Isaiah in Isaiah 6:1-8. When he caught a glimpse of God's glory he said, "Woe is me! for I am undone...." It is when we see our sin as deeply offensive to God that the story of Jesus then becomes GOOD NEWS!
Romans 2:4
Or despisest thou the riches o fhis goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
The apostle Paul spends a lenghty portion of the early chapters of Romans making the case that all men everywhere are sinners before God. "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).
The message that came to the shepherds was this:
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:11)
What is the message that the world preaches about Christmas? "Be good for goodness' sake." "You've been good? You get a present!"
The Scriptural Christmas says something different. Christmas from God's perspective says something about our sin. It exposes who we are under the light of His glory. But that is part of the GOOD NEWS! The angel did not just shine down a light on the shepherds and declare, "You are sinners!" and then vanish away. The hope of the Gospel - yea, the hope of Christmas - is that "you are a sinner, but there is a Savior!" "I am guilty, but God in His grace extends to me a gift!"
John 3:16
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Consider what Christmas says about our sin.
II. What Christmas Says About Our Savior
We need not despair about our sin because God provided in Jesus a Savior!
Romans 3:25-26
25 whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 26 to declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
That is glad tidings of great joy! And it is to ALL PEOPLE!
2 Peter 3:9
9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Matthew 1:21 says, "And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins."
John 1:29, "The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world."
I would encourage you this Christmas to sit down and read Isaiah 42:1-10, Isaiah 52 and Isaiah 53. Scriptures that speak of God's servant, the world's Savior, the Son of God - Jesus!
The angel's announcement, though initially brought awe and fear to the shepherds, also came with assurance of hope!
Luke 2:10-16
10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. 16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
(see also 2 Corinthians 4:1-6)
Has the light of His glory shone into your heart and life, revealing that you are a sinner?
Has the light of His glory shone into your heart and life, revealing to you The Savior?
III. What Christmas Says About Our Shining
Matthew 5:16
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Luke 2:17-18
17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. 18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
We spend a lot of time, money, and energy into decorating for Christmas, celebrating for Christmas, and enjoying the season. And I'm all for it! I could go broke buying decorations, purchasing specialty coffees and teas (Gingerbread Oat milk Chai... hint hint). We bake. We buy. We sing. We give. We get. But do we decorate ourselves with the light of the glorious gospel?
Consider in context the apostle's words in 2 Corinthians 4:1-11:
Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; 2 but have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. 3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4 in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. 5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. 8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; 10 always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. 11 For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.
In Ephesians 5, Paul reminds us: "For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light" (vs. 8).
Can I challenge you to do something this Christmas season? Be a light. Be a light for someone this Christmas. There is a sinner out there that doesn't yet realize he is a sinner. Or there is a dear lady you work with that refuses to accept that she is a sinner in need of a Savior. Be a light. Shine the light in the midst of this dark and confused world. Shine the light on the Savior!
Shine the good news that our punishment has been removed (Zechariah 3:14-15). Our sins have been forgiven. Jesus, the Savior has come (2 Corinthians 8:9).
Matthew 4:16
The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.
May the glory of the Lord shine to you, in you, and through you this Christmas!
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