What is your favorite part of the Christmas story? Joseph, Mary, Baby Jesus, the angels, the wise men or perhaps the Shepherds?
You can say this Christmas story is One of a kind; Handcrafted and orchestrated by God himself. As old as time, lasted throughout the ages… simply timeless.
There are so many lessons God-teaches us through this timeless story. It is a story not to be confused with a fable or fairy tale. These are real people and real life lessons that God will use to transform our lives if we allow Him.
The first lesson takes faith to believe this really did happen! If you don’t believe in the virgin birth you can’t believe in the cross. The birth:
“Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is the Messiah, the Lord.” Luke 2:11
Do you believe this birth really happened? The birth that would bring Salvation to all people. This is faith by believing in your heart that this birth really happened in order to save us from our sins and give us eternal life.
One of my favorite songs is “Mary did you Know?”
“Mary did you know that your baby boy would save our sons and daughters?
Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new?
This child that you’ve delivered, will soon deliver you.”
Mary and Joseph both showed great faith to believe this outlandish, bigger-than-life message from the Angel, who delivered the message personally to each of them.
Then there’s the lesson of obedience. They obeyed God even when they didn’t understand it all. Faith and obedience…you believe, then you obey. You obey because you believe. They go together, you can’t have one without the other. Similarly, you can’t have the cross without the birth. Do you believe?
Another lesson is do not judge your surroundings by your current circumstances. A stable, really? “Seriously” is a word that Mary may have wanted to exclaim. Do you believe God can use anyone and any surrounding to spread His message of “good tidings of great joy?” It takes faith. “You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Not the best of circumstances but yet a miracle because of the circumstance.
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). Do we really believe God works for the good of those who love Him? I would venture to say the work God did in the stable that night was definitely for our good. Can I get an amen?
Remember my question at the beginning, what is your favorite part of the Christmas story? For me, the Shepherds are at the top. I love the underdog so to speak. The orphans, the outcasts, the least of these, you, me included and even the stinky Shepherds are important to God. You realize God could have chosen anyone He wanted to share the good news with. But He chose the lowly Shepherds minding their sheep business to show the miraculous and life-changing event. The shepherds lives could have not been the same after experiencing and witnessing such an event. Do you believe? Has your life been changed by this miraculous event? What lesson can you learn from the Shepherds?
My prayer for you this Christmas is that you will take the time to jump off the Christmas merry-go-round and read the real Christmas story to treasure up all these things and ponder them in your heart as Mary did. As you read this story again may it cause you to glorify and praise God for all the things you know and believe just as they had been told to the Shepherds. May it cause you to spread the word as the Shepherds did and may all who hear be amazed as those who heard on that blessed night.
There are many many life-changing lessons in this beautiful story. Lessons of faith, obedience, love, peace, thanksgiving, rejoicing even in the difficulty and the true importance of celebrating the Christ of Christmas who gave us the gift of Salvation. There is no better gift under your tree that will change your life and save your soul. May the lessons of the stable lead and guide you to the cross of Salvation. May you believe like you have never believed before.
Merry Christmas everyone!
Read Luke 2:4-20, take in every word.