Response to Christmas

Over several decades now we have witnessed Christ slowly being taken out of Christmas, so that this glorious festival has become Xmas. X being the unknown factor, Xmas has become the season when anything goes. Muppets and meercats, Star Wars and soccer all themed to Xmas!

Finding Christ at Christmas in our  highly commercial world is difficult, it has always been thus as this Christmas study shows. But to those who will seek Him with heart and soul He promises - you will find Me.

1. The Commercial Response. LUKE 2:7 'And she brought forth her firstborn Son and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths and laid Him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn' .

Room in the stable, but not the inn!! Among cattle, but not among the people!! Why? Was there really 'no room', or does the innkeeper have a more pragmatic reason for refusing room in the inn? Mary is obviously heavily pregnant. Should she give birth in the Inn, Mary would, according to Jewish law, be unclean for seven days, and the room itself. Thus the innkeeper would suffer financial loss. Commerce has no room for Christ unless the coffers are filled.

In the recent past some of the major stores have stood against Sunday opening but now Christmas has become Xmas, Christ relegated to the unknown. You may not be a businessman, but are financial considerations more important to you than giving room to Christ in your life? Not just at Christmas time, but throughout the year. Is increasing your income more important to you than the means of grace?  

2. The Ideological Response. MATT 2:3 King Herod was 'troubled' at the news concerning Jesus.          v8 Feigns friendship 'That I may come and worship Him also'. Herod’s true purpose revealed when he ordered all males two year old and under to be killed. There is no room at the stable for Herod as King, for there is but one King - Jesus. Although Herod rebuilt the Temple, the Jews never trusted him, his massacre of the Jews revealed his true character.

Communism is presents itself as the friend of the people. But in Russia, Cuba, China and other communist regimes any perceived threat to the power and position of the dictatorship is dealt with in Herodian style death, imprisonment, torture. Ideology and Christ are not compatible, as Richard Wurmbrand so cruelly learned.

Notice the feigned interest of Herod ‘that I may come and worship Him also’. Today we are faced with a plethora of legislation, supposedly to protect the rights of individuals yet the state becomes more involved in ordering the Church. The ideological response ultimately is to get rid of Christ and His Church, powerful forces are working to that end in Britain today.

3. The Intellectual or Considered Response.  MATT 2:2 Wise men ask 'Where is He that is born King of the Jews' Their interest arose from much study of the sacred books and learning. For these wise men learning and wisdom was to be acted upon. Thus they sought Him of whom they had read and learned. Their seeking lead to disappointment at the court of Herod, but as they resumed their journey disappointment turned to ‘exceeding great joy’ as they again saw HIS star. Finally they found Him - They came v11 - They humbled themselves 'fell down' - They worshipped Him - presenting gifts.

Intellect or wisdom need not be a bar to finding and worshipping Christ - those who having found Him, worship Him, are truly wise.   They found one of the great promises of scripture fulfilled -  If you seek Me with all of your heart and with all of your soul you will find Me. In JOHN 5:39 Jesus declares that the Scriptures testify of Him. Therefore be like the wise men who through reading and searching the scriptures found Christ.

4. The Response of the Common People. The shepherds, working men, representative of the common people. LUKE 2:8 'There were shepherds living out in the fields keeping watch over their flock  by night'. Here we note the very ordinariness of their lives - the common people, the very lowest. Living out in the fields watching/tending their flocks, going about their daily business. Into this scene the messengers of heaven came with startling suddenness and a world stunning message. 'For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Saviour who is Christ the Lord'.

Note how they responded: 'Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.'  Thus an immediate response, even their responsibilities for their flocks did not hold them back. So what holds you back from coming to Christ?

v17,18  They spread the news to everybody. v20 They  glorified / praised God for all they had seen. Their response can be summed up thus - worship and witness. Likewise our response to Him should be that of worship and witness.

5. The Religious Response.  We find two groups here, albeit a short time after the birth.

•  Those who were waiting and watching (the remnant).
• Those who were not watching (the Pharisees and Sadducees).

The first group represented by Simeon and Anna. LUKE 2:29,30 'Lord now You are letting your servant depart in peace according to Your word For my eyes have seen Your salvation which You have prepared...' Anna praised God, spreading the news in Jerusalem '..to all who looked for redemption..'

                  

The second group, the religious leaders of the day, Pharisees and Sadducees are conspicuous by their absence. Formal dead religion has no room for a living Saviour, or ritual good works with the fruit of the Spirit.

6. Heaven's Response. LUKE 2:9 as God’s messenger announced to the shepherds the good news: ' suddenly -- there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace goodwill toward men'.

The Christmas message, that the Saviour has been born draws forth from the angelic ranks great rolling waves of praise. If heaven rejoices that earth now has a Saviour, how much more should men who have been redeemed, worship and praise the Saviour.

What is your response to Christ this Christmas?

Do you like the innkeeper find no room for Him?

Are you like Herod really an enemy of God and His people?

                                        Or

Will you seek Him for yourself as the wise men and the shepherds did?

Will you humble yourself and bow before Him acknowledging His Lordship like the Wise men, and worship Him like the Shepherds.