Home For Christmas

That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep.  Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!  And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”

Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

Luke 2:8-14

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I had an old, Ford Taurus when I was in college, and one day it broke down.  It was a few days before Christmas, and all of a sudden, the heat went out.  In Wisconsin, it's a big deal to lose heat in your car.  It's like running out of sweet tea at a wedding in the south.  You can't have one without the other :)

So I quickly dialed the number to a local mechanic, and found out that the repairs would cost me $250.  At that moment most people would be rejoicing that their car repairs were only $250, but to a 20 year old college kid whose annual salary is $245, this was a lot of money!  So in my anger and discouragement, I called my mom and told her I wouldn't be coming home for Christmas.  I was angry at God for allowing my car to break, and I didn't want to celebrate His birthday.  

 

I admit that my selfishness amazes me sometimes, especially after I read Luke 2:8-14.  According to Luke's account, while I was pouting over my misfortune, the rest of the universe was rejoicing.  In fact, light broke through the darkness that night, and an angel of the Lord declared in a booming voice, "GOOD NEWS!"

 

Can you imagine the astonishment that ran through the angel's mind as he proclaimed that message?  Consider for a moment that this angel had begun it's very existence in God's presence and had been worshiping before the throne ever since.  To this angel, God was the Alpha and Omega, the LORD of hosts, the King of Kings, and the creator and sustainer of the universe.  But now the most powerful Being in the universe was a tiny baby laying helplessly in a dirty manger.

And immediately upon delivering the message of good news, the whole sky lights up as a multitude of angels join in to sing praises to God: 

 

"Glory to God in the Highest!" 

 

That, right there, is the appropriate response to Christmas, but it's not the response that I'm interested in right now.  The response I'm interested in, is Jesus' response to mankind's rebellion.  

 

See, while I was punishing God for my misfortune, He was leaving his throne in order to rescue me.  In fact, He came to earth with the purpose of saving the very people who put him to death on a cross.  That, my friends, is response I'm most interested in!

 

As you can see, I completely missed the significance of Christmas that year, but my prayer is that it would never happen again.  I pray that all of us remain amazed that the King and Creator of world loves us enough to give up His life in order to bring us home for Christmas.