Thursday, December 15, 2022

           Luke presents the beautiful Christmas story in chapter two of his gospel.  It is a familiar account to most of us.  We read this story every year during the Christmas season.  It is a story of majesty and simplicity.  Luke told an amazing story of love in a way that even a child could understand.  When we think of Luke 2, we may fondly remember the way Linus shared the Christmas story with Charlie Brown and the rest of the Peanuts gang.  When “A Charlie Brown Christmas” originally aired in 1965, network executives were not happy about the inclusion of Scripture in the script.  But Charles Schultz, the creator of Peanuts, insisted that the Luke account remain in the show.  And, as they say, the rest is history.  Today, it is hard to imagine not recalling the way Linus shared the Christmas story from Luke when Charlie Brown was at his wit’s end. 
            In Luke 2:15, we read, “When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.’”  The first recorded example of people being excited about Christmas was not young children on Christmas morning in search of gifts.  Oh no, it was these shepherds.  Upon hearing the news, these shepherds dashed off to Bethlehem to see what the big fuss was all about.  They did not wait.  They took flight and left probably everything behind—including the flock over which they were keeping watch.  But when the Lord calls, what else can you do? 
            Do we share the excitement of these shepherds today?  Does Christmas still hold some special power over us?  We know the story so well we can easily take it for granted or underestimate it.  We grow so accustomed to hearing the story that we can run the risk of reducing it to something ordinary or even pedestrian.  We would do well to have the excitement of these shepherds and to revel in the majesty of what God has done in providing a Savior for us. 
            What gets you up and moving?  What kicks you into higher gears and stokes a passion within you?  Hopefully, your relationship with the Lord brings some joy and passion to your life each day.  While Christmas can be one of the busiest and most consuming times of the year, it can also be a time of wonder and awe as we reflect on what Luke has to tell us.  May we never lose the childlike or shepherd-like awe and wonder that we find in the Christmas season.  May the coming of Jesus rouse us from our boredom, lethargy, laziness and indifference.  May we step up to see the Lord with greater vision and to serve Him with greater passion.  May we desire to know Christ and to enjoy Christ.
            In the ten days to come, maybe there is something that will compel you to get up from where you are to see what the Lord is doing and to find where you can join with Him.  You might be able to share the Christmas story with someone who knows only bits and pieces of it.  Perhaps there is someone you could serve with your blessings.  Perhaps there is someone you would vow to pray for and to encourage with your words and life.  These first shepherds recognized something awesome when they heard and saw what the Christmas angel and the heavenly host had to say.  No way would they stay in the fields even one second longer.  They got up; they got going; they got moving.  May we be just as passionate about the Lord today and get moving ourselves.  What if you decided to make this Christmas better than all the ones before—not because of what you gained but because of what you gave?  Not because of what you watched happen but because of what you stood up and did.  The Christmas story has been entrusted to us.  May we share it, live it and be energized by it.  Have a wonderful Thursday.  This Sunday will be our wonderful Christmas musical that will tell the story of Jesus’ birth in a compelling way.  Make plans to celebrate the Lord’s birth with us and bring along some friends to worship with you.  Remember you can worship any hour and any day at youtube.com/FirstBaptistKannapolis.