Luke 2:10-11 - MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
Luke 2:10-11 (KJV) And the angel said unto
them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good
tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of
David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
COMMENTARY PEARLS
Oh, How God Loves His Children!
Christmas Eve. We made it once again.
Now, suddenly, I want time to stop. I want to fly
back and feel the expectation of lighting the
first Advent candle, and sit snuggled in the
living room as David reads about the Magi. I want
to lean my face into the scratchy cedar tree
and then realize the blessing of my mother's
long life.
Christmas Eve. It's come too soon.
Oh well, there's nothing to do now but
pull my Santa hat from the top closet shelf and
get ready to laugh. Our tradition is to open our
gifts to each other on Christmas Eve. Santa comes
later.
Brock and Keri and their giggling tribes
will arrive shortly, unloading presents until
there's a sea of bright boxes piled all around the
tree. There will be much hurrying as we eat bowls
of hot vegetable soup and devour homemade
pimento cheese sandwiches.
And then the Santa hat! It was a splurge
some years back, this red velvet hat with a
foot-high bouncy, twirly thing, complete with a bell
on the top.
When I don the hat, everyone knows it's
time. I drag in my big red Santa bag, and peek
inside. The room grows quiet.
"Now, what have we here?" I say.
I pull out a gift for each person. I've
been working toward this moment for months.
Saving up, searching the Internet, poring through
catalogues, and walking the malls until I find the most
perfect gift possible for each of the people I
treasure.
Some, I know, call this conspicuous
consumption. I call it love.
Father, thank You for creating me to
laugh, for the delight I can take in giving gifts,
for the joy and anticipation of Your ultimate
gift! Pam Kidd [Walking in Grace 2021 Devotional
by Guideposts and Zondervan re 1 Timothy 4:14]
The other morning, I went down into the
garage where my three teenage boys play video
games. The floor was littered with soda cans and
empty popcorn bags. Napkins and old socks peeked
out from under the couch cushions where they
sit. When I looked behind the couch, I needed a
moment. The volume of trash crammed in between it
and the wall was breathtaking. I thought, I need
go no farther. I called to them, "Boys! Come
clean up!" The clutter was disheartening. I didn't
want to get my hands dirty. I wanted the boys to
clean up their own mess.
Jesus took the opposite approach when He
came to earth on that holy Christmas night so
long ago. Instead of picking a pristine palace or
a comfortable home to make His appearance, He
chose a smelly stable. Surrounded by animals and
nestled in a bed of hay, the Son of God made Himself
known. He also made His heart known. He is not
afraid of our mess. In fact, He knows that He is
the only One Who can clean up our hearts, minds,
and situations. Try though we might, we always
come up short when it comes to cleaning ourselves
up. But Jesus - Emmanuel, God with us - is here,
and He's willing and able to create order out of
chaos, wrapping us in His righteousness and
cleansing us from all sin. Susanna Foth Aughtmon
Faith Step: Today as you tidy your house,
recognize how Jesus has entered the mess of your life
willingly and know He is not put off by it. His heart
is for you. He has come to make you whole.
[Mornings With Jesus 2021 Devotional by Guideposts and
Zondervan]
COMMENTARY
There once lived a farmer who became
jaded about Christmas and all things "Christian."
Late one raw winter night, he sat alone
in the house, reading. In the quiet he heard an
irregular thumping against the back porch door. He
flipped on the light. To his surprise, the birds
that had made their nests in a nearby tree were
flying against the glass, almost as if knocking to
come inside. The limb on which they had built
their nest had fallen under the weight of the ice.
His heart went out to them.
He pulled on his snow boots and overcoat
and pushed open the storm door. Immediately the
birds fluttered away. Against knee-deep snow, he
made his way out to the barn. He slid open the
barn door and wondered how he could get the
frightened birds into its warmth and safety.
He built a massive nest out of hay, but
they wouldn't come near. He sprinkled some
crackers in a path from their tree toward the barn.
But they didn't follow. He tried to shoo them
in, but they only scattered. He even lit a
couple of candles inside the barn, hoping the added
warmth would draw them. But to the birds, he was
only something to be afraid of. He knew nothing
of their language and nothing of their world.
He thought, If there were just some way
that I could become a bird. If only for a few
moments I could communicate to them how much I care,
I could get them into the barn and they would
be safe and warm.
At that moment, as only God would plan
it, church bells began to ring in the distance.
The farmer suddenly remembered, as he looked at
his watch and checked the date, that it was
Christmas morning.
At that moment, he grasped the true
meaning of Christmas. A man becoming a bird is
nothing to be compared to God's becoming a man. This
was what the Savior did - He came to rescue the
farmer himself and all humanity from the cold of
sin. There in the deep snow on the back porch he
fell to his knees, softened his heart, and
returned to the Lord his God. [Chuck Swindoll
www.insight.org.]
CLOSING PEARL
Don't Miss Christmas
This Christmas, dont miss the point of
celebrating Christmas. Dont be like the innkeeper who
missed Jesus because he was too busy (see Luke 2).
Make time for the Lord. Dont be like King
Herod who was too afraid to let Christ rule his
life (see Matthew 2). Turn your heart over to
Christ.
Finally, dont run your life like those
in the Roman Empire, who missed Christmas
because other gods took the place of Christ in their
lives. Allow nothing else to take the place of
worshipping Jesus Christ.
On Christmas morning we will unwrap our
Christmas presents, but eventually the novelty of it
all will wear off. The present that was once so
precious to you will end up stuffed in the closet or
handed off to someone else. A newer version of your
latest gadget will arrive that has more megapixels,
or is smaller, or faster, or has better battery
life. In time, your Christmas gifts will mostly be
forgotten. But God has given us the ultimate gift - the
gift of His Son Jesus Christ.
Dont miss Christmas this year. As
Watts and Handel once wrote, Let evry heart
prepare Him room. [By Greg Laurie from Harvest
Ministries; https://www.harvestdaily.com]
LINK TO SPECIAL VIDEO ON THIS PASSAGE
The Chosen Special Christmas Episode
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paOjgZZDads
LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS TOPIC
Luke 2:10, 11 - Good News of Great Joy for
All People!
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2009/20091225-1210.html
Luke 2:7 - Prepare For Jesus.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2014/20141224-1609.html
John 3:16 - LOVE SUPREME!
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2021/20211206-0816.html
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
A Man without Equal by Bill Bright:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo
Steps to Peace by Billy Graham:
https://stepstopeace.org/
Seeking God Made Real:
http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prayer Made Real:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies:
http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Voice of Prophecy Discover Bible Study
Guides:
https://www.voiceofprophecy.com/study/discover
Glow Tract Video Bible Studies:
http://www.bibleresearch.info/
LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS
Unlocking Bible Prophecies by Cami Oetman of
Adventist World Radio: https://www.awr.org/bible
Panorama of Prophecy with Pastor Doug
Batchelor: https://www.panoramaofprophecy.com/
Hope Awakens by John Bradshaw of IIW:
https://itiswritten.tv/programs/hope-awakens
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
Islam and Christianity in Prophecy, The
Third and Final Conflict by Tim Roosenberg:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHSJB-fuHLU&list=PLWhQIHGTHlkaGg5Cwe3NDzWtFX8vNSpsE
