Tag Archives: Christmas story

The Christmas gift of faith

 

 

“In those days,” the Christmas story begins, Caesar Augustus issued an order for a census to be taken. So Joseph and Mary went from Nazareth to Bethlehem, the town of His family to register.

 

Like Joseph we too are called to register and declare that we belong to the family of God. We are his.

 

It was undoubtedly a tough journey for Mary. If you get uncomfortable riding in the car to your Christmas celebrations, imagine being pregnant and riding on the back of a donkey! As you gather with friends and family, perhaps in a room too small for the number of guests, ponder spending the night in a barn, and giving birth to your child in the presence of barn animals.

 

Likewise, it was probably tough for Joseph. His betrothed was expecting a child, not his own, but brought about miraculously by God. Imagine the whirlwind of confusion that swept through his mind. And yet, in faith he believed what the angel said. In faith, he protected his bride and their child. In faith, he obeyed.

 

In faith, they both humbled themselves to accept a dirty manger for the birthplace of their child. Although there was no room in the inn for Jesus at the time of His birth, let’s be sure to make room for Him by unwrapping the gift of Christmas faith. We do this by making room for his Word to speak to and transform our lives. Jesus IS The Word. We can’t experience the real Christmas without making room for the Word, that is Jesus, in our lives.

 

Like Mary, in faith, let us take quiet time to ponder in our heart this wondrous gift from God, a gift we don’t deserve but desperately need. Like Joseph, let’s have our hearts follow in faith even when things around us don’t make sense. And let our hearts respond with praise to the one who is worthy of all our praise. And may those who follow us say, “In those days, they lived by faith.”
For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world–our faith. 1 John 5:4

 

 

 

 

The Christmas gift of praise

 

 

 

 

 

How we respond to life circumstances determines who we become.

 

 

An angel appeared to the shepherds the night Jesus was born. They responded first with fear. Then, upon hearing the good news, they responded with joy, joining a heavenly host singing praise to God. Without delay, the shepherds “hurried” to see Jesus and responded to his presence by telling everyone they knew about him. Their response of praise and testimony defined whom they had become, certainly more than the work they did for a living. The same is true of you and me.

 

Fast forward a couple of years and we find that not everyone responded with joy. In fact, bitterness and hatred filled the heart of the king who sought to slaughter thousands of babies in attempt to kill the future King Jesus. Fast forward again to the adult ministry of Jesus and we see that most of the people he witnessed to rejected him. He wasn’t the messiah they expected or wanted. Others recognized him as the Savior they needed and praised and followed him. On his arrival in Jerusalem, crowds praised him in the streets saying, “Hosannah in the highest.” Yet, shortly later many responded with jeers and accusations, shouting, “Crucify him!”

 

How we respond to truth determines who we become.

 

The same is true now. How should we respond to the celebration of baby Jesus? Should we coo and awe and wish to always keep him in the manger? Celebrate his birth, yes. Give praise for his coming, absolutely. But let’s respond also to The Lord Jesus with lasting praise, with thankful and obedient hearts, eager to follow him fully and tell others about him.

 

Respond with praise and find yourself becoming a person whose life is marked by praise. It’s one of the gifts of Christmas. Have fun unwrapping this gift every day!