Scripture: Luke 2:1-21

December 19,2004

Rev. John W. Fowler

I invite you to listen to the good news of Jesus Christ, the Christmas story as found in Luke’s Gospel, Chapter 2:

About a year ago I didn’t realize that my mother was as much a packrat as she was. We were cleaning out her house, preparing to sell it, and I ended up getting a green box of memorabilia, or whatever you call it — the things that she had kept. I was surprised. There was an old baseball glove, annuals. There were report cards. I was looking back over my first grade report card; it was pretty good. I had forgotten that I had perfect attendance that year and I needed some improvement in writing and refraining from unnecessary talking, but other than that, it was a good year. But I noticed one of the things she kept that I thought was interesting. She had kept the little thing that they gave you at the hospital. I was born at Presbyterian Hospital and I was interested in reading about that, and I noticed it just had “boy” up there because they hadn’t picked my name out. I was supposed to be Elaine, so they just had “boy” up there. It had what you are supposed to do with a newborn and I remember it said, “Don’t sit on the bed,” because they wanted to keep the sheets clean; they thought that was important. And visiting times for dads. They couldn’t just come at any time. But I thought, you know, I was the fourth child; Mom has been a mother for twelve and a half years; she didn’t need that. But she kept it. Why did she keep it? Why did she keep any of that stuff? I mean to the staff of Presbyterian, I’m sure it was just another baby being born, another mother. Everything went fine. But to her, the fourth child wasn’t just old hat; it was still special.

Long ago in Bethlehem, in many ways it seemed a very ordinary birth, but really, it was a miraculous birth. The angel had appeared to Mary, a teenager, of all people.

“Hail, O favored one, the Lord is with you. You are going to have the child, the Messiah.”

“Well, how can this be? I am a virgin.”

He said, “The power of the most high will overshadow you and the child will be the Holy One.”

She doesn’t quite understand, but she said, “I am the handmaid of the Lord, your servant. Let it be so.”

Mary was willing. God had entrusted the Messiah to a teenager, betrothed to Joseph. She went to see her cousin Elizabeth, who would have a miraculous child in her old age. She was going to be the mother of the forerunner, John the Baptist.

And when she went, the babe leaped in her womb, thrilled that the mother of the Messiah would come and visit. Mary’s Magnificat, filled with praise. But yet, not all is well. Again, you have to remember: this is a hard story to believe. Joseph didn’t believe it. He knew it wasn’t his child and so he was going to divorce her. He could have had her stoned publicly but he chose to divorce her quietly.

An angel appeared to Joseph and said, “Fear not, Joseph, to take Mary as your wife. The child to be born will be a holy child, a special child.”

So they went to Bethlehem because of the census of Caesar. When Caesar issued a decree that a census should be taken, it was mostly for the draft into his army for the Jews. It would especially be for taxation. Ladies, those of you who have had children, how would you like it to be almost ready to give birth, and have to take a seventy mile donkey ride for purposes of taxation? That’s what Mary had to go through. But she went; of course they couldn’t travel very fast, and then when she got there, there was no room in the inn — not that it was all that fancy. The Son of God was born in a barn, in a feeding trough, among more animals than humans.

It was a very ordinary birth; it was a very miraculous birth. And of all people, angels appeared on the hillside to shepherds. Shepherds? I mean they couldn’t even do jury duty. I mean they were known for lying; they just didn’t have a very good reputation. The sheep liked them, but most other people looked down upon them. But here they are, out on the hillside; you know the story. But imagine, go out under the stars tonight; an angel appears to you that says these words, “Do not be afraid, for I bring you good news of great joy which shall be for all the people. For unto you a son is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.”

It gets your attention. You wouldn’t forget something like that. They didn’t. They are still just in awe of what is happening. And then, oh, imagine the great Christmas music you have heard and multiply them all together and you still might not match the angels, singing on the hillside, “Glory to God in the highest, and on Earth, peace to men on whom His favor rests.”

And the angels left and the shepherds lives would never be the same, as that is what happens when Christ becomes real in our lives.

“Let’s go and see what the angels have said.” They go. They find Mary and Joseph, just as has been told. They share with them. Mary ponders all these things in her heart. The shepherds return, glorifying and praising God. Why was it a miraculous birth? Well, it was a miraculous birth because God came to earth in the incarnate. (tape change)….

. . . This is the great concern of Almighty God, as sin came into the world through pride, through idolatry. And God sent prophets; he sent Moses. They offered sacrifices, but ultimately, one would need to come — the Messiah, the Savior that Isaiah had spoken of, the Wonderful Counselor, the mighty God, the Prince of Peace. He came because we needed a savior to save us from our sins.

But this Christmas, what difference does it make that He came? If we truly allowed Him to come into our lives, what difference would it make? Well I believe it would make quite a difference.

Clarence McCartney writes beautifully about World War I. You may have heard the story about the mud of Flanders that covered the German grey and British khaki alike:

What would happen if we allowed Christ in our hearts this Christmas?

This has been my prayer; this has been my prayer for this congregation. I confess that at times I have come back to the Lord and said, “Well, I had good aspirations but I allowed myself to get distracted; I allowed myself to be a little too busy. . .” But if we allow Him to truly come into our heart, I believe there are five gifts He would like to give to us as He enters in:

First of all, when Christ is allowed into our heart and we make room for Him, He brings the gift of His teachings. Jesus, the child born in Bethlehem, was the greatest teacher and preacher of all time. He told parables; He told stories. He told a parable of a sower: The Word goes forth and it is just like the soil. Some soil hard, and some of our hearts, they are hard and things have happened. Our hearts have become hardened, but Christ’s love is trying to penetrate. Some of the ground is thorny — we are distracted; we have other cares; it is hard for Christ to come in. He would like to do some weeding. And then some soil is very ready for Him, very ready and He comes.

Jesus told a story about a good Samaritan, a very simple story: A man is beaten; he is left f or dead. Two people, they are simply too busy to help, but one makes time. Nothing big, but he helps him; saves his life, really. He was the good neighbor. Is there someone that Christ would have you to help? Maybe you have been passing on the other side. He wants you to help him. Nothing fancy, but He does want to use you to touch that other person’s life. I think of the story of the prodigal son. I think of how many people today have family that are in the distant land. Christ wants them to come back far more than you do. And oh, when we have the heart of a loving father, it is a whole lot better when they come back. If we invited Christ to come in, would we have the heart of the loving father and the prodigal son and vanquish the heart of the older brother? He would like to bring His teachings and change our lives.

He would also bring the gift of His healing. Christ is still the Great Physician and He comes to heal us. I think of the man that was paralyzed; his friends brought him to Jesus; he got up and began to walk. I think of people that are paralyzed today and Christ the Healer needs to come in — not just physically. Sometimes God heals with His grace and I believe that is definitely a healing. Oftentimes God uses people healed by grace in an amazing way. But He also heals through grief. There is a healthy way to grieve; there is an unhealthy way to grieve. Christ comes in an brings His healing as a gift to us.

He would also like to bring His gift of forgiveness. For the Christ child grew up; He gave His life upon the cross. He took upon Him the sins of the world. He said, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”

There was a woman caught in immorality. He said, “Does no one condemn you? Neither do I. Go and sin no more.” Christ does that and that is good news. What a difference it would make. Many people have a shame and a guilt that they need not have if they would let Christ come in and truly receive His forgiveness, and then in turn, extend that forgiveness.

He also wants to bring the gift of His resurrection. For this child not only gave His life upon the cross, but we believe that He arose from the dead. They went to look for Him in the tomb and the angel said, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here. He is risen, just as He said. Go and see.” And the Church has been proclaiming that for two thousand years, that Christ is risen; He is risen indeed. Jesus said:

I am the Resurrection and the Life and those who believe in me even though they die, yet shall they live.

What a great difference it makes this Christmas if we receive the gift of eternal life through faith in Christ and believe in His resurrection power. He also would like for us to have the gift of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, “Wait in the city until you are clothed with the power from on high” and He said, “I promise you a comforter, a counselor, who will come to be with you.”

On the day of Pentecost they didn’t know what they were praying for or who they were praying for, but the Spirit came, and what a difference He made. Now they knew that they didn’t just have to have Jesus there in person; He could come and live within your heart.

Dena Donahue was very discouraged one Christmas. It’s a story called, “Where’s Baby Jesus.” She was very upset about some things that were going on in her family. She knew she had not the right attitude but she just couldn’t help it. Sometimes that’s the way it is at Christmas. Everybody expects it to be perfect, just like Hallmark Christmas cards, but you know it’s not. And sometimes we have thought, well, our family is not perfect; it just can’t be a good Christmas.

She went to the store and she noticed a Nativity scene had fallen in the aisle and she picked it up and put it back, and a little bit later heard a child being scolded by a mother, “Get that thing out of your mouth!” And then she realized that what the little four or five year old girl was doing was kissing the Nativity baby, Jesus. And she wanted it and she and her mother had a discussion about it, and finally the little girl said, “That’s all right, Mama. At Sunday School they told me that Jesus can come live in your heart.”

And you know that for Jesus to come live in your heart is a whole lot better than a Nativity Jesus. And so Dena Donahue bought that Nativity scene a little bit later and she made it a point to buy that little baby Jesus for that girl, who upon getting that free gift, kissed him again. But now she keeps that Nativity in her home, without Baby Jesus, because she wants the reminder about, “Where is Baby Jesus?” Well, He’s in my heart, that’s where He is.

Well, you see that’s what this miraculous birth can do. Some thirty years ago, the greatest thing that has ever happened to me is I made room for Christ to come back into my heart. It’s the best thing that has ever happened to me. And when He comes in, He brings these gifts. But mostly He brings the gift of coming into your heart and changing it and He continues to change it.

Things were not all hunky-dory in 1818 in a little church where a Catholic priest and the organist were beside themselves because the organ was broken and a new organ apparently could not get there, and so they knew they needed to come up with a hymn that could be easily sung. The priest came up with it. The organist put it to music, and even though the circumstances weren’t ideal, Silent Night was sung in 1818.

This Christmas, allow this miraculous birth to take place in your life. Let Him come; let Him change you. Let us pray.