Christmas: Then and Now
By Pastor Craig Sicilia
It's just a small, white
envelope stuck among the branches of our Christmas tree. No name, no
identification, no inscription. It has peeked through the branches of our tree
for the past 10 years or so.
It all began because her husband Mike hated Christmas---oh, not the true
meaning of Christmas, but the commercial aspects of it-overspending...the
frantic running around at the last minute to get a tie for Uncle Harry and the
dusting powder for Grandma -- the gifts given in desperation because you
couldn't think of anything else.
Knowing he felt this way, I decided one year to bypass the usual shirts,
sweaters, ties and so forth. I reached for something special just for Mike. The
inspiration came in an unusual way.
Our son Kevin, who was 12 that year, was wrestling at the junior level at
the school he attended; and shortly before Christmas, there was a non-league
match against a team sponsored by an inner-city church, mostly black. These
youngsters, dressed in sneakers so ragged that shoestrings seemed to be the only
thing holding them together, presented a sharp contrast to our boys in their
spiffy blue and gold uniforms and sparkling new wrestling shoes.
As the match began, I was alarmed to see that the other team was wrestling
without headgear, a kind of light helmet designed to protect a wrestler's ears.
It was a luxury the ragtag team obviously could not afford. Well, we ended up
walloping them. We took every weight class. And as each of their boys got up
from the mat, he swaggered around in his tatters with false bravado, a kind of
street pride that couldn't acknowledge defeat.
Mike, seated beside me, shook his head sadly, "I wish just one of them could
have won," he said. "They have a lot of potential, but losing like this could
take the heart right out of them." Mike loved kids-all kids-and he knew them,
having coached little league football, baseball and lacrosse. That's when the
idea for his present came. That afternoon, I went to a local sporting goods
store and bought an assortment of wrestling headgear and shoes and sent them
anonymously to the inner-city church.
On Christmas Eve, I placed the envelope on the tree, the note inside telling
Mike what I had done and that this was his gift from me. His smile was the
brightest thing about Christmas that year and in succeeding years.
For each Christmas, I followed the tradition---one year sending a group of
mentally handicapped youngsters to a hockey game, another year a check to a pair
of elderly brothers whose home had burned to the ground the week before
Christmas, and on and on. The envelope became the highlight of our Christmas. It
was always the last thing opened on Christmas morning and our children, ignoring
their new toys, would stand with wide-eyed anticipation as their dad lifted the
envelope from the tree to reveal its contents.
As the children grew, the toys gave way to more practical presents, but the
envelope never lost its allure. The story doesn't end there.
You see, we lost Mike last year due to dreaded cancer. When Christmas rolled
around, I was still so wrapped in grief that I barely got the tree up. But
Christmas Eve found me placing an envelope on the tree, and in the morning, it
was joined by three more. Each of our children, unbeknownst to the others, had
placed an envelope on the tree for their dad. The tradition has grown and
someday will expand even further with our grandchildren standing around the tree
with wide-eyed anticipation watching as their fathers take down the envelope.
Mike's spirit, like the Christmas spirit, will always be with us.
May we all remember Christ, who is the reason for the season, and the true
Christmas spirit this year and always.
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.
There is only one object that can satisfy the eye of the mind. That object is Jesus—Son of man without sin; Son of God with power. We must keep our eyes on Jesus at all times.
Let us fix our mind’s eye upon Bethlehem.
Bethlehem… not Jerusalem the city of thousands of national memories—glorious and guilty, with evil, girt with diadem inside her walls. Not Athens the intellectual center of the world. Not illustrious Rome - festering on the soil of war. But Bethlehem - called by some a weed patch ignored by the world travelers a small village in which nothing had occurred to aggrandize it.
Bethlehem, drawing a new star to lighten its obscurity, drawing sages from the east, drawing the angel of the Lord, drawing the heavenly hosts a multitude – remembered in all generations.
Thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel
Consider the Dutiful Diligence
Luke 2:8 tell us Shepherds…keeping watch over their flock.
These shepherds – poor, honest, industrious – were not leaders of armies, not expounders of philosophies, not advocates of political theories, not bankers counting piles of money – rather just throwers of stones to keep the wolves away. Watchers of their flocks, to these who were dutifully diligent in their common tasks, the good news was first announced – teaching us to be diligent in . business - urging us to remember that our modest work and the hero’s sacrifice are one in the unseen realm of duty, showing a woman’s two mites and a rich man’s great gifts are the same in the realm of love, showing that God seeks people in humble places for service and the honors of service.
2 Peter 3:14
Tells us Be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.
As we look upon Bethlehem, let us see to it that this diligence possesses us.
Give ear to the
Divine Declaration
In Matt 1:20,21
Now to Joseph “the angel of the Lord appeared…saying…fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife…she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins
In Luke 2:10,11
To the shepherds the angel of the Lord said Fear not…For unto you is born…a Saviour with is Christ the Lord.
To these same shepherds in Luke 2:14 a multitude from the heavenly choir sang, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
Where is God?
He was just a little boy, on a week's first day. He was wandering home from Sunday School, and dawdling on the way. He scuffed his shoes into the grass; he found a caterpillar. He found a fluffy milkweed pod, and blew out all the "filler".
A bird's nest in a tree overhead, so wisely placed on high, Was just another wonder that caught his eager eye. A neighbor watched his zig zag course, and hailed him from the lawn, Asked him where he'd been that day and what was going on.
"I've been to Bible School," he said and turned a piece of sod. He picked up a wiggly worm replying, "I've learned a lot of God." "M'm very fine way," the neighbor said, "for a boy to spend his time." "If you'll tell me where God is, I'll give you a brand new dime."
Quick as a flash the answer came! Nor were his accents faint. "I'll give you a dollar, Mister, if you can tell me where God ain't."
But we should see the Deep Descent….What Deep descent.. from the heights of glory to the depths of shame; from the wonders of Heaven to the wickedness of earth; from exaltation to humiliation; from the throne to the tree; from dignity to debasement; from worship to wrath; from the halls of Heaven to the nails of earth; from the coronation to the curse; from the glory place to the gory place at the CrossRoads ministry
In Bethlehem, humility and glory in their extremes were joined. Born in a stable. Cradled in a cattle trough. Wrapped in swaddling clothes of poverty. No room for Him who made all rooms… No place for Him who made and knows all places… Oh, deep humiliation of the Creator—born of the creature woman…. But His descent was the dawn of mercy. Because we cannot ascend to Him, He descends to us.
Let us not forget the Delay less Doing in Luke 2:15 Let us now go
The information God gave, the shepherds wisely put into action immediately. Not the delay of a week – nor a day, nor an hour, nor a minute. The Savior of men born in the City of David?? Let us go and see Him now. . Not “when a more convenient time presents itself.” Not after we go home and talk it over with our families… But Now… Not when we make sure no wolves will attack our sheep. But “now” Not when we make sure no money will be lost. But Now…
The wise men made the same improvement of their information. In a distant country they saw His star and followed its direction – defiant of all distances, discouraged by no vast expanse, downcast by no far reach of miles.
Let us now go.. What at midnight? Cool and calculating reason would have argued that it was an unreasonable hour. Had their side of caution spoken , it would have asked questions as to the welfare of the sheep. Had procrastination prevailed, it would have put off until “a better time” But these plain men, who had left their beds to attend their flocks, now left their flocks to inquire about the Savior… They came with Haste…
To inquire after Jesus, to see Jesus, to serve Jesus, to follow Jesus is our first business—let us do it quickly..
Gods first promise to guilty man was that the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent’s head (Gen.3:15) . As to the flesh, Jesus is the seed of the woman. But He is infinitely more. Paul says: in Gal 4:4,5
But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.
Necessary it was to our redemption that the Saviour of men should be a man.. But had Christ been produced in the ordinary way of human generation, He must have been a partaker of a sinful nature. This was prevented by the miraculous way of his conception- by the power of the Holy Spirit. Thus the virgin-born Christ was “holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners”- fit to become sin for us because He knew no sin…
Jesus is God manifest in the flesh.. Let us go to Bethlehem and see this great sight. Glorious mystery. We cannot fully comprehend it. Men may speak and write of it, but as they attempt to describe it, a woeful sense of inadequacy oppresses the mind. We may speak of it, but the most we can say is that it is unspeakable. And the most we know is that it passeth knowledge.
Think to of the deplorable darkness, When Jesus came it was night in Egypt, night in Rome, night in Athens, night in Syria, night in Palestine-night everywhere.. Darkness blacker than “a murderer’s mark of crepe.”
Were not just talking darkness at night though, we are talking darkness everywhere,
We are talking about darkness all the time.
Were talking about a darkness that engulfed the entire globe
Yes, deplorable darkness had long covered the earth, and the wisest of men bowed “to the unknown God.”
But, glory to His name, “the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him” (John 1:18)
This is He who is “the brightness of his [the Father’s] glory, and the express image of his person” (Heb. 1:3)
I tell you this is God, changed human so He can understand his children for no-other reason than His love for us
Col 1:15 tells us quote “ the image of the invisible God”
This too is unspeakable, but we believe and adore. Let but the light shine into our heart to give us “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ,” and it is enough.
But consider as to Christ the Design of Death, What was the grand design of the Saviors birth…. The redemption by His death of fallen, guilty, helpless man.. That was the grand design. “God sent forth his Son made of a woman, made under the law,, To redeem them that were under the law.(Gal. 4:4,5) He was named Jesus –because He came to “save his people from their sins.”
There is something so sublime so delightful in the name Saviour… Cicero, the Roman orator, said that when traveling in Greece he saw a pillar inscribed with the word Savior… He admired the fullness in the name but he was as ignorant of its Christian meaning as an owl is of astronomy. How much more may every redeemed sinner admire that name- Savior….
But, seeing the things come to pass at Bethlehem, let us hate the Despicable Disgrace,.. What I mean by that,,, As at Bethlehem, we see God in all His Glorious perfections manifested in the Person of Jesus, we should engage our sols to adore and love and praise Him – magnifying “the Lord God of Israel.” .. The Lord….hath visited and redeemed his people….
But we see Jesus being removed from Christmas,
The banning of the nativity scene all over the country
Songs being banned that contain references to Jesus
The ten Commandments stripped from our court system
God being removed from our pledge of allegiance
Tolerance and submission to other religious ideas in our schools and public facilities
Its one thing to stuff commercialism down our throats during the Christmas season but quite another to forcefully strip and out law reverence and reference to Jesus Christ
The true reason for the season
We see the disgraceful way in which some celebrate the season called Christmas. Vain, frothy, carnal-these three words-can be written over the celebrative ways of those who “make merry” at the Christmas season.
That’s why they need to remove Jesus from Christmas so it “will be ok”
Foolishly, even iniquitously, do they contradict as much as possible the design of His coming as the “Infant of Days” to Bethlehem
Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil.. so may at Christmas seek to keep up the works of the Devil… What have vulgar dance to do with the birth of Jesus….
What dose participation in the degradation of human lust.
What dose greed or gluttony…
Or drunkenness
What do the works of the flesh have to do with the birth of Jesus
Jesus came to save His people from their sins-not to urge them to participate in them.. Why should more sins be committed at the Christmas season in a few days than in many weeks at other times…. Why should sin be aggravated by letting it pass under the dequise of religious joy….
Why should many choose to “steal the livery out of Christmas to serve the Devil in….
We need to keep our minds eye focused on Jesus Christ every minute of everyday, especially during the Christmas season. What humiliation to God to take the day we ( man ) set aside for Christmas strip God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit from its meaning. And to use it for an excuse in Christ’s name to do the very things Jesus taught us not to do.
Such disgraceful observance of the birth of Christ is an affront to a holy God, a reproach to the Christian name, a ruinous mater to the souls of men. Riotous revelry of reverence and worship and gratitude is of Hell – not Heaven; of man – not God
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Heavenly Father hear our prayer,
We pray for the strength to keep our minds eye focused on Jesus
We pray for the diligence and courage to keep Jesus Christ the reason for the season despite the Devils influence to keep Christ out of Christmas.
We pray for God to inspire our leaders to do what is right in Gods eyes not mans…..
We pray for the forgiveness and mercy promised to us
We pray for our
"If''s"
If we can smile through
our tears when everything
goes wrong;
It's because these trials that
come our way will help us
to be strong!
If we can laugh in face of
trouble and keep looking
for the best;
We can be assured that it
will pass and we've been
truly blest!
If we can hide the hurt we
feel when a friend has let
us down;
Instead of wanting to get
even we can smile instead
of frown!
If today has been so bad that
we think we should have
stayed in bed;
Keep trusting in the Lord
and don't look back but
focus our eyes on Him
and look ahead!
If we've passed with flying
colors all these "If's" I've
given you......
You're gonna be just fine my
friend, for God is going to
see you through!
Make haste go now for it’s the Lords will in your Life
Amen