Why We'll Always Celebrate Christmas!
The Spirit of Christmas
Friday, December 26, 2003
My Prayer Today
Dear Lord, I come to you this day to thank you for saving me. Thank you for giving me hope and meaning to my life. Help me to celebrate and treasure you continuously in my heart. May my mind be fixed upon you this day. In everything that I do, may I bring glory and honor to your Name. I do not want to pack away decorations and pack away my worship of You as well. I want to celebrate you all the time. Grant me the grace to have a heart that gives you thanks this day. I pray this all in Jesus' name. Amen.
Bible Verses
Luke 2:8-20
8 "That night some shepherds were in the fields outside the village, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord's glory surrounded them. They were terribly frightened, 10 but the angel reassured them. 'Don't be afraid!' he said. 'I bring you good news of great joy for everyone! 11 The Savior -- yes, the Messiah, the Lord -- has been born tonight in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And this is how you will recognize him: You will find a baby lying in a manger, wrapped snugly in strips of cloth!" 13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others -- the armies of heaven -- praising God: 14 'Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to all whom God favors.' 15 When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, 'Come on, let's go to Bethlehem! Let's see this wonderful thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.' 16 They ran to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. 17 Then the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to thema bout this child. 18 All who heart the shepherd's story were astonished, 19 but Mary quietly treasured these things in her heart and thought about them often. 20 The shepherds went back to their fields and flocks, glorifying and praising God for what the angels had told them, and because they had seen the child, just as the angel had said."
Questions for Reflection
What did the shepherds do when they arrived to see the child in the manger (verse 17)?
What was the reaction of those who listened (verse 18)?
How did Mary respond after she had listened to the shepherds (verse 19)?
Questions for Exploration
For those who were listening to the shepherds at the manger, do you think any of them doubted them because their testimony was unacceptable in a court of law?
Based upon everyone's response, as well as Mary's response, what can you conclude about their belief of the shepherd's story?
Do you think Mary remembered this story that the shepherd's told for the rest of her life? Why?
Questions for Understanding
If you were a shepherd who witnessed the angel's message and then you came to the stable that Jesus was born in, what would you do or say when you got there?
Would you run, like the shepherds, to find the stable? How long would you stay?
What would it be like to hear the Son of God cry as a little infant? How would looking at this baby be different than looking at any other baby (like you would in the nursery for newborn's at the hospital)? How would you feel?
What would you tell Mary and Joseph? What did the shepherds tell them (verses 17-18)?
Questions for Application
How do you respond to the Christmas story? Are you astonished, or do you treasure it in your heart like Mary?
On this day after Christmas, what do you do with the story of Jesus' birth? Do you forget it until next year, or do you "think about it often" as Mary did?
How can you "treasure the Savior in your heart" today?
Thoughts and Reflections
As a child, the day after Christmas was always sort of anti-climatic. The day that was long awaited was now over. For some it brought relief from all the stress of getting things together and family gatherings, but for me it was sort of disappointing. The gifts were opened, the decorations were starting to come down, the carols all were silent, and the tree in the living room was about to be taken down. It just wasn't the same as the days and weeks before Christmas. I called it the "post-Christmas blues". The only relief was the fact that we didn't have school, and my parents did not have to go to work. So things just tended to be rather quiet around our house, other than playing with our new toys. Unfortunately, many of us today only celebrate the coming of a Savior during the Christmas season. As soon as Christmas Day is over, we not only pack away our decorations, but we also pack away our worship of a Savior that has come. Of course just like any birthday, we don't celebrate it everyday, but we are still thankful for the person that birthday represents throughout the entire year. Likewise, it is important that we continuously celebrate Jesus as our Savior all year long. When we look at the shepherds coming to Bethlehem to see the baby and to tell everyone there about what they had just seen and heard, we see two different reactions on the part of the listeners. In Luke 2:17 after the shepherds told everyone about the angel's message, it said "all who heard the shepherd's story were astonished." To hear a story that the shepherds told would have been quite amazing. After all, it is not everyday that one sees a whole host of angels. The fact that they were shepherds may have been more difficult for the listeners to believe what they were saying, yet Mary and Joseph had already heard from an angel separately, and those who were there were probably aware of the significance of the moment. In any case, the shepherd's story was received as true and the people were "astonished" -- and rightfully so. But Mary had another reaction. It said that she "quietly treasured these things in her heart and thought about them often." As a new mother, the moment was indeed very special. Yet, as the mother of God's only Son, one could not comprehend all that was going on inside her heart. The visitors, the stories heard, and the sights, smells, and sounds, would all be lodged into her memory. It was an unforgettable day. Today on this Day after Christmas let us, like Mary, treasure Jesus in our hearts and think about Him often. When the lights go down, and the carols grow silent, let us ponder and stand in awe of a Savior that has come to us. We do not have to live with "post-Christmas blues", because the gift of Jesus is something that we will have all eternity to celebrate. The Spirit of Christmas should not just be for one day, but it is something that must continue all the time. Take time this day to treasure Jesus in your heart!
To view other studies from the Why We Celebrate Christmas series, click here.