by Rev. Gina Johnson
Mary and Joseph, the stable, the manger, the angels, the shepherds, and of course the gift unlike any other. Layer by layer we've unwrapped it to discover its special meaning. So I want to invite you to think about this scene for just a moment.
There is a young couple, far from home, giving birth in the most unlikely place. This is a stable meant for animals, and there our Savior, not wrapped in royal robes, but in strips of cloth. And the first to hear the good news was not the kings, was not the religious leaders, but it was shepherds, ordinary people, who some would overlook receiving such a great message of truth and love, of freedom unlike any other, that not only set them free, set their hearts free for all time.
Doesn't this say something to us about God's heart? When we hear this story and we look at the pieces, Jesus being born into a humble beginning, but being crowned and adored unlike any other, that is how God sees us. We come into the world vulnerable, naked, bare. Who knows what complications take place in that birthing room? But from that very moment, God sees us in all of our glory, in all of the richness of who we are, as his children, heirs to the throne.
And we know that he sees us that way because that's how he looks upon our Savior, our Lord, our brother, Jesus. I would like for you all to just think about gifts for a moment. And remember the thing about gifts is gifts are meant to be unwrapped.
Can you imagine that beautiful present sitting, waiting for you at home, and you're supposed to open it maybe tonight is your tradition or tomorrow morning, but instead, I dare you to go pick out the best-looking, most favorite, luring-you-in gift and set it aside. I want you to just wait. Maybe you should unwrap it next month, maybe next year.
Maybe you should just forget all about it. Well, you know, that's what tends to happen to us. We've been given such a marvelous gift in the knowing, in the relationship that we have with Jesus and Christ. But that's what happens. We were given this great gift, a gift that cost nothing to us, a gift that we couldn't earn. And what we tend to do is forget all about it.
We set it on a shelf. We only go and pick it up in those moments of hard times. But the thing is, that gift is for us all the time, because that gift is Jesus.
It's a personal gift for you. And when life does feel overwhelming, and when you do have questions that you can't seem to find the answers to, well, then remember, there was that young couple who traveled far from home, wondering why the Lord that they love, the God of their people, would allow such a thing to take place, would allow rulers to demand a census just so they could see about raising more taxes and finding out who should be serving what authority where. In that time, with all of their unanswered questions, a pregnant girl on a donkey traveling miles, a room that didn't exist, so they ended up in a stable.
And through all of that, they recognized as the shepherds came running, as the cry took place of their newborn baby, they recognized that they have received a gift unlike any other. At Christmas Eve, my prayer for you is that we don't just hear the story of Jesus' birth and then put it away until next Christmas.
I had a very humbling moment one Christmas Eve as I was running around doing my last-minute shopping, my last-minute details, and I looked around and I saw so many frowns, so many confused faces, some grumpy faces.
I heard employees complaining about all that they had to do before they could close. I heard another employee complaining, “Can you believe they're having us stay open an hour later and we don't even have lights in the parking lot here.” And as I heard these stories and as I looked at myself running around trying to make sure I had that last gift, so I don't have to wrap a pack of batteries, I recognized that I've fallen into it just like everyone else.
On Christmas Eve day, I left my gift wrapped. Instead of having the joy of Jesus as I was picking out those last-minute items and making sure to wish people an extra Merry Christmas and maybe stopping and talking to that one frustrated person, instead I walked around like, “Gosh, why is everybody still out here? Oh, why does everyone look so grumpy?” And I fell into that same place. So my prayer for you on Christmas is that we don't just hear the story as something that happened long ago, but we'll release time and space and recognize that the story is living and alive each and every day.
We can unwrap it again fresh and recognize that God so loved us, saw no separation from us ever, but wanted to remind us with our Lord, our Savior, our Master Teacher, Jesus. The manger holds more than just a baby. It holds the hope of the world.
It holds the peace that surpasses all understanding. It holds the joy that cannot be quenched. And it holds the love that has no conditions. The manger invites you to come close just as the shepherds did and to see the gift of love that God has given us to bring light into the world.
I have one more story as we conclude this evening. Over the past several weeks, we have been hearing a story about a young mother named Ella. So as we've been hearing this story, it's about Ella, who is a young single mother with her daughter, Lila, and they've faced many challenges through the Advent season.
The busyness of the season, the ache of loneliness, Ella's quiet longing for something more. And along the way, they had glimmers of hope, of peace, of joy. But tonight was Christmas Eve, and here we pick up their journey to see the moment that changed everything for them.
Ella pulled her coat tighter around her as she checked on Lila and they began walking. Lila was excited as she swung her mittens around instead of wearing them. Her mother said, “Put those mittens on and keep up. We have to get to the service.”
Lila looked up at her and said, “Mommy, do you think we'll see angels tonight?”
Ella smiled and said, “I don't know, sweetheart, but if any night was a night for miracles, it's tonight.”
They got to the church steps, and all of a sudden, Ella's heart sank as she hesitated for a moment. She was unsure why she came to church tonight. She had never done it in the past, but something told her this was the year to bring Lila to the Christmas Eve service. Life was heavy, bills, worry, not enough peace to go around.
All of a sudden, Lila tugged at her hand and said, “Mommy, it looks like there's Christmas in there.”
Together, they walked into the church. Ella felt a lump in her throat. For weeks, she was searching for something, and as soon as she stepped into that sanctuary, an overwhelming feeling of joy and peace and love. She realized that this was everything I had hoped for. The pastor stepped forward and began to speak.
“Tonight, we remember the greatest gift ever given, the gift of Jesus Christ. He came to bring peace to the weary and hope to the brokenhearted. He came to show us what love looks like.”
As the pastor spoke, Ella felt her heart begin to soften more and more. She recognized something that she had been missing all this time and wanted to be sure to pass it down to Lila. At the end of the message, the pastor invited everyone to light a candle.
Lila held hers carefully as the flame passed from one person to the next, filling the room with a soft glowing light. And as the congregation began to sing Silent Night, Ella looked at Lila and saw so much joy in her beautiful face. It reminded her of being young and having Christmases with her grandma.
This is what Christmas is all about. God's love wrapped in a gift that we just so easily call Jesus. But tonight, Jesus is here with us. He's here with me, Ella thought to herself as she continued to look at the room filled with the glowing light, to feel the love going back and forth between her and her sweet little girl.
And that's what Christmas is all about.
It is the time where we invite you for just a moment to forget everything beyond those doors, to pause and to reflect and to feel the calm and peace that we only find in Jesus. Just like Ella and Lila, we invite you to embrace the light that's been given to us all as we unwrap the greatest gift ever given.
Please pray with me.
Our almighty Father God, we give you thanks as we are humbled by the realization of the priceless gift that you gave to us, yet he paid the greatest price. God, we are so grateful for friends, for families, for stories, for light, for love, and for the truth that we are all yours. And so as we continue in the celebration of Christmas Eve, of Christmas, may we pause in the stillness of your love.
May we embrace one another and may we embrace the truth that Jesus was born, Jesus died, Jesus rose again for us to know your eternal love. And so may this silent night be a blessing unto you as it's been a blessing to us. In Jesus' name, amen.
Kommentare